For the heart I once had
by Bobo-is-tha-bomb
Summary: COMPLETE! The discovery of a girl in a basement of a building leads to a dive in Trowa's past. Who is this girl? Why was she locked up in a basement? And what does she have to do with Quatre? TrowaxOC
1. Chapter 1

Hi there! Welcome to my new Gundam Wing story!

I always had some ideas about Quatre having a sister he never knew about. The last few weeks I've gotten more ideas for a plot and I started working on them and here we are!

A few things about the story, first:

This story will be a new 'long time' project. I'll try to update every two weeks, but I'm very busy with school, so forgive me if it takes longer.

The song "For the heart I once had" by Nightwish is used in this story. It's a really beautiful song and I think this song fits Aalia.

I might as well, write a lemon for this story. If I do, I'll let you know. I will be able to find the lemon on freedom of speech fanfiction.

A few things about the plot:

Quaterine Winner, died after giving birth to Quatre. This is shown in Episode Zero. However… in my story she pretended to die and fled the colonies. (I don't know how she pretended, but hey, I'm the writer! I'll come up with something! :D)

Quatre's father has done a few 'evil' things, when he found out. Later he regretted them, but then it was already too late.

This story is a TrowaxOC.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the song 'For the heart I once had' by Nightwish.

For the heart I once had.

Chapter 1.

_Heaven today is but a way__  
To a place I once called home  
Heart of a child, one final sigh  
As another love goes cold_

Once my heart beat to the rhythm of the falling snow  
Blackened below, the river now flows  
A stream of molten virgin snow

For the heart Ill never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Living today without a way  
To understand the weight of the world  
Faded and torn, old and forlorn  
My weak and hoping heart

For the child, for the light  
For the heart I once had  
Ill believe and foresee  
Everything I could ever be

For the heart Ill never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Time will not heal a Dead Boys scars  
Time will kill

For the heart Ill never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The mission was complicated. The building was well guarded. But that couldn't have stopped them. Guns with silencers took care of the guards. They entered the building. Every room was checked, the people in the rooms arrested. Two preventers checked out the basement.

The basement was dark. There was a door that lead into another room. While one of the preventers went back to search for the light switch, the other silently broke into the room. He shone around with his flashlight. The room seemed empty, but the bundle of light caught something in the corner. He shone on it again and saw that it was a body. He quickly walked over and noticed it was the body of a young woman. He carefully knelt down and checked for a pulse. There was one. He moved some dirty locks of hair out of her face. It was clear she had been in this basement for quite some time. Her body was thin, a sign that she had not been fed well.

Suddenly the light went on and the preventer turned off his flashlight. He looked at the woman again and froze. Green eyes widened in shock. "Oh God…"

He pulled her upper body towards him. He carefully shook her. "Wake up."

The young woman's eyelids fluttered.

"Wake up," he said again.

She slowly opened her eyes. And his suspicions were confirmed.

"Nanashi…" A weak whisper. "You found me…"

The use of his old nickname made him tense slightly. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs. His partner was coming.

He looked at the woman's face. She was slipping into unconsciousness again. "Don't…" he said softly, "Stay with me. We're going to help you."

She closed her eyes. "Don't… leave me again," she whispered, before slipping away.

"Trowa, what…" His partner stopped talking. "Oh shit."

Duo ran back up the stairs, calling out that he needed medical support. Trowa carefully lifted up the woman and followed his partner. In the hallway a team of paramedics took the woman out of his arms. She would be brought to the hospital for examination. Heero pushed a handcuffed man through the hallway. Trowa recognized him. The man's eyes narrowed and he spat on the ground.

"I'm not done with you!" He threatened.

"Really?" Heero smirked.

"And you…" the man stopped walking and stood in front of Trowa, glaring venomously. "Just wait. You won't have her. No man will have her. You hear me?"

Trowa rather felt then saw the quizzical looks that were sent. But he only had eyes for the man in front of him. He leaned closer, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Or what?"

The man was pulled back when he went to attack the preventer in front of him. "You bastard! She's mine!"

"She was never yours," Trowa said calmly, "Get him out of here."

Heero grabbed the man's arm and pulled him along with him. Duo stepped up next to Trowa. "What was that about?"

Trowa shrugged. "Old issues."

"Was it about the girl?" Duo followed him when he went outside.

He saw the paramedics taking care of the woman. He walked towards the ambulance. "Which hospital will she be taken to?" he asked.

One of the paramedics looked up. "The one in Cairo, sir. Were there found any documents about her in the building?"

Trowa shook his head. "No. But I know her name."

"That is good. We can contact her family then."

"Her family doesn't know about her existence," Trowa said.

The paramedic looked at him, puzzled. "Excuse me?"

"Does it matter? I'll take care of her."

"Very well then. What is her name?" The paramedic grabbed a block note.

Trowa sighed, being very aware of Duo standing next to him, of Heero approaching them and of the fact that he was going to reveal something that he had kept secret for many years.

"Her name is Aalia Jewhara Winner."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

It had been a promise that he couldn't have made. But still he did. He still remembered the eyes of her mother. They had shined so brightly, even though she was about to pass away.

"Nanashi," She had whispered. "Nanashi… promise me you'll take care of Aalia."

He had taken her hand. "I promise," he had said.

He had promised to take care of a girl whose eyes shone with the innocence he had lost long ago. At the age of fourteen he had promised her mother. But he had failed to protect Aalia.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"So… she is Quatre's sister?" Duo asked.

"His twin sister."

"And he never knew about her?"

"I already told you that, twice," Trowa said.

"Alright, alright!" Duo sighed and rubbed his nose. "Still, I can't figure out why you kept his twin sister a secret."

"I thought she was dead." Trowa stood up and walked towards the window, "There was even a grave."

"Really?" Duo came to stand next to him. "Why would they want you to believe she was dead?"

"To keep me away from her. Isn't that obvious? Afzal wanted her for himself and he couldn't bear the thought of me coming to look for her." Trowa stared out of the window.

Afzal Kadeem was the man who had threatened him, back in the building. Since he was arrested he hadn't said anything. But Trowa had seen the hate in the man's eyes. Afzal was a powerful man. Even in prison he could still be a danger to Aalia.

"Aalia has to leave the country."

"Are you planning to take her with you?" Heero entered the room.

"She is not safe here," Trowa said.

"Mister Barton?" A nurse entered the room. "Miss Winner has woken up. She is asking for you."

Trowa followed her to Aalia's room. She looked up when he entered the room. A small smile spread on her face. The nurses had washed her hair and now he could see how much she looked like her mother.

"So…" She said softly, "It's Trowa now?"

He nodded. He noticed she was a bit hesitant to speak and he wondered why.

"Why… didn't you come to look for me… sooner?" She asked. Then she smiled again. "I'm sorry. I have not spoken to anyone in English for a long time."

"It's okay," he said while sitting down in the chair next to her bed. "They told me you had died."

"Really? But…"

"There was a grave." He said softly. "I'm sorry. I should have known better."

"Trowa…" She tested the name. He smiled slightly. "You had to fight a war… There was no time for me. We both knew it. And you have found me, now."

Her accent was kind of cute.

"I want to thank you for saving me," She said softly.

"There is no need to do that," he muttered, "Anyway, when you are released from the hospital; you're coming with me to Europe."

"You cannot do that!" she protested, "I will be fine."

"I called Quatre."

"You WHAT?!" Her eyes widened. "Nanashi…"

"Trowa," he reminded her, "What is so wrong about calling your brother? He wants to meet you."

"But, my father…"

"Is dead. He died in the war. Quatre is a nice guy. I'm sure he will like you."

"No. No. He won't! Look at me!" She gestured to herself. "I am too skinny and… I'm not pretty."

He raised his eyebrow. "Who told you that?"

She looked away from him. "Does it matter? The fact is that I am not pretty."

"Afzal… He told you that."

"Yes, he did. Plenty of times." She sighed.

"Well… he lied."

"You're just saying that because you are my friend." She smiled wryly.

He took her hand. "I am sure Quatre will like you."

She entwined her fingers with his. She looked at him and reached out with her other hand. She playfully tugged on the bangs that covered one side of his face. "You need a haircut," she said.

He smiled slightly. He knew better than to answer that. From the moment they had met she had told him he needed a haircut. And always she would tug on his bangs.

"Will you come to Europe with me?" He asked.

"I would love to."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"I bet these two were involved." Duo grinned at Heero.

"So what if they were? It doesn't mean they are now." Heero continued to type away on his laptop.

"Aw come on," Duo said, "That Afzal guy nearly went nuts when he saw Trowa."

"He was already nuts. Otherwise he wouldn't have kept a girl locked up in a basement for five years," Heero said dryly.

Duo sighed. "Yeah… I guess you're right about that."

"Did you know that she was trained to become a Gundam pilot too?" Heero asked.

"What? No…" The surprise was clear in Duo's eyes.

"The base where her Gundam was built was completely destroyed. Guess who blow it up?"

"Afzal Kadeem."

"Correct. Quaterine Winner got hurt during the explosion and died afterwards. Aalia's Gundam was never rebuilt and Afzal locked her up in the basement." Heero shut his laptop. "Trowa came to earth to fight in the war."

Duo stared out of the window. "How did Quatre react when Trowa called him?"

"Shocked. But he wants to meet Aalia," Heero said while standing up.

"Where are you going?" Duo asked.

"There are still a few things that have to be taken care of before we go back to Europe."

"Right, do you need help?"

"I'll be fine." Heero left the room.

Duo walked towards Aalia's room and stood in the door opening. He grinned when he saw that Trowa and Aalia were holding hands. They were talking. He almost cursed when his cell phone rang. He would have loved to see anything happen between those two. He walked away from the room, while picking up.

"Hello?"

"Hi Duo." Quatre's voice sounded on the other end of the line.

"Quatre! How are you doing?" Duo asked.

"I'm fine. Which hospital do I need to go to?" Quatre asked.

"The one in Cairo. You're early!"

"I know," Quatre chuckled, "But I want to meet my sister."

"Do you want me to come and pick you up?"

"That would be nice!"

"Alright. I'll be there in twenty minutes," Duo said, "See ya!"

He walked back to Aalia's room and grinned. "Quatre is at the airport. I'm going to pick him up."

Aalia looked away nervously. Trowa nodded at Duo. "Alright. I'll see you later then."

Duo waved and left.

"Is Quatre… angry with you for not telling him about me?" Aalia asked.

Trowa shrugged. "I don't know. But Quatre doesn't get angry easily."

She smiled. "Just like my mother."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Heero walked into the small room and looked at the man who was sitting at the table. He was handcuffed. The man looked up, a hateful glint in his eyes.

"I'm not going to tell you anything."

"There is no need to," Heero said calmly, "I'm one of the best hackers and I broke into your system. I found out why you locked up Aalia."

Afzal smirked. "Really? Care to enlighten me?"

"Aalia's father promised her to you. But you found out about Trowa."

"The kid doesn't have a fucking name!"

"He has now. You saw him as a danger. So you took the girl and locked her up. But you never married her."

"I had to break her spirit first. She would be a lot easier to handle then," Afzal said.

"You're going to be locked away for a very long time. Not only for your dirty businesses. Trowa pressed charges against you for kidnapping."

"WHAT?" Afzal called out, "That fucking bastard! If I get him he is a dead man!"

"We'll see that," Heero smirked and left the room.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

What do you think? Let me know.

-xxx- Kimberley


	2. Chapter 2

Welcome to the second chapter! Woot Woot! Hehehe…

I'll try to write a flashback in every chapter, that will explain the past and all…

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the song 'For the heart I once had' by Nightwish

For the heart I once had

Chapter 2.

_Heaven today is but a way  
To a place I once called home  
Heart of a child, one final sigh  
As another love goes cold _

_Once my heart beat to the rhythm of the falling snow  
Blackened below, the river now flows  
A stream of molten virgin snow _

_For the heart __I'll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had _

_Living today without a way  
To understand the weight of the world  
Faded and torn, old and forlorn  
My weak and hoping heart _

_For the child, for the light  
For the heart I once had  
I'll believe and foresee  
Everything I could ever be _

_For the heart I'll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had _

_Time will not heal a Dead Boys scars  
Time will kill _

_For the heart I'll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had_

The boy she had once knew, had grown up into a handsome man with a mysterious appearance. This was a man, not a boy. She had had him once. One night. She had been fourteen and she had slipped into his room. He had been surprised when he woke up to find her standing next to his bed.

But he had changed. The boy was no longer there… this was a man. A man with a past. A man who had fought in the war. And now he had a name. Trowa Barton. He was no longer Nanashi, the lost boy her mother had found. But what could she expect after five years of not seeing him?

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Quatre entered the room and smiled when he saw Aalia sitting with her back against the pillows. She looked at him and her eyes widened. "Quatre…"

She looked so much like his mother…

She reached out when he stood next to her bed and wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. He hugged her back. "Finally…" she whispered.

He pulled back slightly and saw that tears were rolling down her cheeks. He wiped them away.

"Mom always talked about you," she said.

Quatre smiled. "You look like her."

She smiled back. "Yes, and you have her eyes."

They talked about everything. Their family, Aalia's time in the basement, Quatre's fighting in the war.

Trowa had left the room when Quatre arrived, giving them some privacy. After an hour he returned.

Quatre looked at Trowa and smiled. "Thanks. For saving her, I mean."

Trowa nodded. "It's okay."

Aalia smiled too, a grateful glint in her eyes.

Quatre stood up. "I have to go now. I have to make a couple of phone calls," he said. "I'll be back tomorrow."

Trowa followed Quatre out of the room. When they were in the hallway he spoke up. "I'll take her to Europe when she is released."

Quatre nodded. "It's the best for her safety, right?"

"Yeah. You don't mind, do you?"

"Well you steal my sister away…" Quatre grinned slightly, "But I can visit her plenty of times."

Trowa grinned back.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

He could still remember the night she had slipped into his room. She had been shy but certain about the thing she wanted from him. And he had not hesitated to give it to her.

The girl he had had one night had turned into a woman. A woman who had been held captive by a man who thought about her as his property. But he would take care of her.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Two weeks later Aalia was released from the hospital. She still had to follow a special diet and she was still a bit weak. She couldn't walk for a long time and had to rest a lot. Trowa had booked a flight to Brussels airport.

When they were finally seated in the airplane Aalia spoke up: "What will happen now?"

Trowa looked at her. "You can stay at my place. I don't know. What do you want to do? Find a job or do you want to study?"

She looked thoughtfully. "I don't know yet… Maybe I could do both… But first, I want to enjoy my freedom!"

He smiled slightly. "Yeah, you should. There is only one little problem…"

"And that is?"

"I don't have a bed in the guestroom. We have to share a bed."

She raised an eyebrow. "So? You call that a problem?"

He smirked slightly. She smirked back.

No, it really wouldn't be a problem, he thought.

During the flight Aalia fell asleep. Her head rested against his shoulder. Her blond hair tickled on his arm, but he didn't care. He watched her sleep. During her time in the hospital she had gained some weight and now she looked much better. There was only one thing he worried about.

Aalia was having nightmares about her time in the basement. She didn't remember them, because the doctor had given her some sleeping pills. She had needed to rest a lot to gain strength and the doctor wanted her to sleep well. She hadn't woken up from her nightmares in the hospital, but what would happen now? She didn't take the sleeping pills anymore. He frowned slightly. He knew Aalia had to get psychic help. He knew she would refuse it. She was too proud to admit she needed help. So he had to convince her.

She shifted slightly in her sleep, getting more comfortable against him. She made a small noise in the back of her throat. A slight smile appeared on his face. He was glad to have her back in his life. During his training to become a Gundam Pilot she had been a welcome distraction. They had been good friends. When her mother died he had taken care of her.

Aalia had never known her father was the one responsible for her time in the basement. He had found out about his wife's betrayal and the child she had taken with her. And so he sought revenge. Trowa knew her father had regretted his actions, but he couldn't do anything about it afterwards. Aalia had been promised to Afzal Kadeem. His brother had been in charge of 'breaking the girls spirit'. Trowa really didn't want to think of the things that man had done to her and had tried to do to her… Trowa himself had killed Arren when he had tried to rape Aalia. Aalia had fled the room. She had promised to meet him outside. But Afzal had taken Aalia. Things had gone way out of hand back then. Afzal had made him believe Aalia was dead. He still couldn't figure out how he could have believed that bastard.

But she was alright now…

She shifted again, muttering some words in Arabian. She frowned in her sleep.

The first signs of a nightmare. Trowa put his hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. "Aalia," he said softly, "Aalia, wake up."

She didn't wake up and shifted again. "No… Leave me alone," she muttered.

"Aalia."

"Don't… don't touch me…" A desperate plea.

"Aalia," he repeated, louder this time, "Aalia, wake up."

He shook her again. She jolted away, gasping. "What… where…"

"Calm down," he said, "Are you alright?"

She ran a hand through her hair. "I think so…"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

She looked at him in fear. Would he really?

He approached her, a mad glint in his eyes. "I'm going to break your spirit, you little whore," he said.

"No," she crept back against the wall, "Leave me alone."

Due to her sprained ankle she couldn't move too fast. He smirked. He knew. He grabbed her shoulders roughly. "You're going to pay for sleeping with that nameless bastard."

"Don't… Don't touch me." She tried to push him away.

He slapped her against her cheek. She fell down on the ground. She tried to move away, but he grabbed her hair, tugging it painfully. She cried out in pain. "Stop it! You're hurting me."

"That's the idea, whore." He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. He lifted her up in a painful grip and threw her down on the table that was standing in the room. He held her down and looked into her eyes.

She struggled against his grip. "Let go of me!"

She tried to kick him, but he moved out of the way quickly. He hid her again and grabbed the collar of her shirt. He tore her shirt open and smirked when she struggled harder.

"Nanashi!" she cried out for him.

Arran growled angrily. "Silence!"

He pressed his hand down on her mouth and hissed in her ear. "One more word or I'll kill you."

She bit him in his hand. He shouted in anger and pain and pulled back his hand.

"Nanashi!"

He had to come. He wouldn't leave her with some lunatic. She rolled off the table and landed on the ground with a painful thud. She had to keep moving, so Arren couldn't grab her again.

"Nanashi, help!"

Suddenly someone banged on the door. Arren had locked the door. There was no way someone could enter the room, unless… A gunshot sounded and the lock gave away. The door flew open and Nanashi aimed his gun at Arren's head. Aalia ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him.

He wrapped his free arm around her. "Are you alright?"

She clung to him. "My ankle hurts."

"I'll get you out of here." Nanashi glared at Arren, "But first I have to take care of something else."

Aalia stepped back. "I'll meet you outside," she whispered in his ear.

He nodded and let go of her.

She tried to walk as fast as she could and left the building. She stood outside, waiting. She heard the gunshot that took Arren's life. She sighed in relief. He would never hurt her again. Suddenly a hand grabbed her arm and a hand was pressed against her mouth. She stiffened.

"Hello there, little whore…"

Afzal! What was he doing here? He was supposed to be out of the country!

"I'll make sure that nameless boy never finds you again."

The hand was removed from her mouth, but before she could scream a cloth was pressed against it. No! This wasn't supposed to happen! Nanashi! She struggled and held her breath. Afzal started to drag her away. The need to breath came and she gasped into the cloth. She felt dizzy. No! No! Nanashi, where are you?

The dizziness got stronger. She knew she would lose consciousness soon. She was dragged into the back of a van and the doors slammed shut. The van immediately drove away. Tears burned in her eyes. Nanashi, I'm sorry…

She drifted away into blackness…

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Trowa opened the door to his apartment to let Aalia in. She walked inside, a small smile on her face. She looked around in the living room. "It's nice," she said.

"Hn…" Trowa stood next to her.

It was past midnight and he was tired. He dropped his bag on the ground. He would unpack it tomorrow morning. "Come," he said.

She followed him to his bedroom. He opened the closed and grabbed a t-shirt. "You can borrow this. You'll need to buy new clothes."

She smiled and took the shirt from his. "Can we go tomorrow? I still have a bank account even Afzal didn't knew about."

He nodded. He showed her the bathroom where she changed into the shirt he had given her. When she returned he was already lying in bed. She crawled under the covers and turned towards him. He looked at her. He pushed the thought that she looked good in his bed to the back of his mind. There was no need to become involved with her again.

"Why did you want me to come along with you?" she asked.

"I made your mother a promise."

"Hmm…" she closed her eyes. "Thank you."

He was amazed how quickly she fell asleep. Well, the flight and all the walking they had to do had taken its toll on her. He just hoped she wouldn't have nightmares. He turned off the light and closed his eyes.

He had tomorrow off. He had to go shopping with her… he cringed at the thought. Duo had once told him he had taken Hilde out shopping. He had waited hours in front of the fitting rooms. He hoped Aalia wouldn't let him wait for that long. Nah, she was different. She wouldn't do that to him… And he had to get her a bed. One of her own. She would probably want to decorate the guest room to her likings. He wouldn't protest. He lived in this apartment on his own and he had to admit that it had been lonely. Aalia was nice company.

He had to get that box out of his closet. It contained some of her stuff that he had hidden away during the war. He was glad that he kept it. She would be really happy to have it back…

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Yay! Finished! :D

Let me know what you think!

-xxx- Kimberley


	3. Chapter 3

I am soooo sorry to keep you all waiting for so long! I was busy with school and writing my Linkin Park fanfic. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! You can expect me to start updating more frequently!

Disclaimer: I only own Aalia and the plot.

For the heart I once had

Chapter 3.

_Heaven today is but a way__  
To a place I once called home  
Heart of a child, one final sigh  
As another love goes cold_

Once my heart beat to the rhythm of the falling snow  
Blackened below, the river now flows  
A stream of molten virgin snow

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Living today without a way  
To understand the weight of the world  
Faded and torn, old and forlorn  
My weak and hoping heart

For the child, for the light  
For the heart I once had  
I`ll believe and foresee  
Everything I could ever be

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Time will not heal a Dead Boy`s scars  
Time will kill

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Trowa woke up the next morning, feeling relaxed and warm. He sighed deeply and a sweet scent filled his nose thrills. He snuggled deeper into the bed, wanting to sleep some more. Movement beside him, made him open his eyes. The first thing he saw was blond hair. Something was really out of place in his bed. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. He looked at the figure in his bed again and suddenly it hit him. Aalia…

She lay facing him, a peaceful look on her face. And she was close to him… really close. Somehow she had managed to cuddle up against him without waking him up. He must have been really tired. Her hand lay fisted against his chest. A small smile spread on his face. He brushed a few locks of hair out of her face. It felt soft against his fingers. A small content sigh escaped her lips and she snuggled closer.

He had to get up and make breakfast. He was hungry. And he wanted a shower. He moved carefully and got out of the bed, without waking Aalia. De young woman didn't move and continued to sleep peacefully.

Shower first. Trowa made his way into the bathroom and turned on the shower. When he returned from his shower, Aalia was awake. She was still in bed and staring at the ceiling.

"Good morning," he said.

She looked at him and smiled. "Good morning."

She sat up and ran a hand through her messy hair. She yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Slept well?"

"Yes. Thanks." She got up and stretched. "Can I shower?"

"Sure."

She seemed to hesitate and gazed at him shyly.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked.

"Not really…" She said, "I was just wondering…"

"You know you can tell me." He said, trying to keep his gaze on her face and not her legs who were showing off beneath the shirt she was wearing.

She shook her head. "It is nothing."

She started to walk past him, but he gently grasped her arm. She looked up at him, a shy glint in her eyes. Why the hell was she so shy?

"I'm just…" She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, messing it up even more. Trowa resisted the urge to smooth the tangled blond locks down. "Never mind…"

He knew better than to pressure her. If she was ready to talk about what she was thinking about, she would come to him. He let go of her arm, ruffled her hair and left the room. "I'll be in the kitchen."

Aalia smiled and went to the bag which contained her clothes. It wasn't much. But that would change today. Trowa had promised to take her to the centre, so she could buy some clothes. She was looking forward to it.

After grabbing some clothes she went into the bathroom and took a shower. She smiled slightly when she had to wash her hair with his shampoo. It was apparent Trowa didn't have a girlfriend. She had wanted to ask him, but she was afraid he might start wondering about her motives. He treated her like a little sister, like he had always done. Her smiled saddened slightly. She wondered if he would ever see her as something else. Like a woman. A woman with an interest in him.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Maybe, taking her shopping wasn't such a bad idea. She seemed to be able to choose quickly and didn't spent hours in fitting rooms. Thank God. Trowa held a few of her shopping bags as she happily walked along side with him. She took everything in with interest.

"I like Brussels." She said, "It's so…"

She still struggled sometimes with finding the correct words. Trowa found it oddly endearing.

"Peaceful?" He offered.

"That too," she said with a small laugh, "But other than that. I think colourful is the right word."

"Hmm…"

"Do you like living here?" She asked.

"My job is here…" He said while shrugging, "I haven't really given it a second thought."

"That is so like you…" She said.

A smirk tilted the right corner of his mouth. She cast him a sidelong glance and giggled.

"It's funny how people change and yet don't."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was irritating that it took so long to deliver a bed. Trowa had felt like hitting the sales man when he told him it would take at least six weeks for the order and delivery. He had to share his bed with her for six more weeks! 'Don't get involved.' He kept chanting the sentence in his head. Damn it! She was Quatres sister! So maybe a few years ago he had… but now there were completely different circumstances. There was no war, no danger. Back then he didn't even know Quatre.

Maybe he could sleep on the couch. Or maybe not. He hated sleeping on a couch.

…And damn it. He wanted to talk to her about what happened between them a few years ago. But how would she react to that? Maybe she had wanted him back then, because life could end every day during these times. On the other hand… he was the only person she had trusted. She had shared everything with him… her dreams, her fears… her first time.

'Stop thinking about it!'

"Trowa are you alright?" Aalia's concerned voice broke his pondering.

"Hmm?" He looked up from his coffee and gazed at her.

"You spaced out."

"Sorry."

"No need to apologize." She smiled warmly at him and sipped her tea.

"Remind me to get something from my closet when we get back," he said, suddenly remembering the box.

Her eyebrows rose. "What is it?"

"You'll see."

She eyed him curiously. "Is it for me?"

She hadn't lost her curious ways. Trowa smiled. "It's something I think you might want to see."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

After getting back from the apartment Trowa cleared a shelf in his closet for her clothes. The other pieces of furniture she had ordered along with her bed would also be delivered over six weeks. Aalia put away the clothes and smiled when he dug further into the bottom of the closet, pushing aside various items. She wondered if he kept a gun in that closet. She heard him curse under his breath and then he finally pulled out a carton box.

She felt her curiosity rise when he opened the box. She sat down on the ground beside him and he took something out of the box.

She gasped. It was a picture frame. She took it and gazed lovingly at the picture of her mother. She felt a lump in her throat and tears formed in her eyes.

"I cannot believe you kept this." Her voice was soft, with a hint of vulnerability.

He shrugged. "They were memories… of you."

She looked up at him. "Where did you keep them during the war?"

He smiled slightly. "I stayed at a circus when I wasn't on missions. Cathy kept the box for me."

Cathy? She bit her lip and lowered her face and gazed at the picture of her mother. Of course there was another woman in his life. What could she expect after five years?

"What else have you kept?" She asked.

Trowa got out a few diaries, more pictures, a jewellery box (which she took with a surprised gasp) and a care bear. Aalia eyed the pink bear with widened eyes and took it from him. Immediately she buried her face in the bear's fabric and giggled.

"You kept Lucky."

"I gave it to you, remember?"

"Hmm…" She smiled. "For my tenth birthday."

"I remember that day." His tone was amused and she blushed slightly.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Keeping all of this. It means a lot to me."

She put the bear down on the ground and moved closer to him. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. His arms embraced her and held her close. Safe… she wondered if this was a dream and when she woke up she would be in the basement again.

"I really missed you a lot," She whispered.

"I missed you too."

"I knew you were going to find me some day. I always kept hope."

He tightened his arms around her. "And I found you. I will keep you safe from now on."

She drew back and smiled. "I have no doubt of it."

"Good."

She let go of him and took the picture of her mother in her hands again. "Do you think you can send Quatre a copy of this?"

He nodded. "I'll scan it tomorrow."

"Great!" She gathered the other items and got up.

She placed the care bear on his desk, along with the diaries and the pictures. She put the jewellery box on the nightstand. She sat down on the bed and opened it. She smiled and took out a necklace.

"This was my mom's." She held up a delicate silver chain with a purple teardrop. She linked it around her neck and smiled.

Trowa watched her with a small smile. It was good he kept those things. She was happy with the memories.

It was just six more weeks… he hoped he could keep his hands to himself.

- End chapter 3 -

So what do you think? Let me know, reviews are appreciated!

-xxx- Kimberley


	4. Chapter 4

During my internship I have a lot of time left to write... I do everything I have to do and then I have like four hours left. I got a lot of ideas for this story, so updates will be quick! :D

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the song 'For the heart I once had' by Nightwish.

For the heart I once had

Chapter 4

_Heaven today is but a way__  
To a place I once called home  
Heart of a child, one final sigh  
As another love goes cold_

Once my heart beat to the rhythm of the falling snow  
Blackened below, the river now flows  
A stream of molten virgin snow

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Living today without a way  
To understand the weight of the world  
Faded and torn, old and forlorn  
My weak and hoping heart

For the child, for the light  
For the heart I once had  
I`ll believe and foresee  
Everything I could ever be

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Time will not heal a Dead Boy`s scars  
Time will kill

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Three weeks later Trowa was thoroughly cursing the situation. It seemed like Aalia became more beautiful every day. She didn't have nightmares, which surprised him, because in the hospital she had had them every night. Maybe it was because he was sleeping next to her, providing the security she needed to sleep peacefully. In her sleep she would always snuggle up to him, pressing that wonderful body against his, waking him up and driving him crazy with hormones.

Damn it… he didn't want to become involved. So he kept his distance during the day.

After getting used to living in an apartment, Aalia had decided to start studying. She did one of those online courses, because she still didn't feel very comfortable with a lot of people around her. Trowa often came home from work to find her chewing on the end of a pencil, staring thoughtfully at one of her books. She looked adorable like that, much like the girl from his youth.

Quatre had come to visit. Aalia had been ecstatic to see her brother again. Trowa had given them some privacy, not because he felt he needed to, but because he was afraid Quatre might read his real feelings in his eyes. Aalia was his best friend's sister. He shouldn't see her as more than that. He hoped Heero and Duo had both kept their mouths shut about what Afzal had said to him when they had arrested him. He didn't feel like explaining to Quatre what had happened between him and Aalia five years ago.

It had been something he had done without thinking, without questioning his motives, without knowing what the consequences might be. Afterwards that night had come to haunt his memories often, but not as a bad one. No, never a bad one. Having Aalia like that had been one of the best things that had happened to him. He could still remember how she had felt, how she had responded to him, how she had tasted, how she had snuggled up to him afterwards.

Trowa sighed and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He shouldn't think about it. He had come home to an empty apartment, finding a note from Aalia that she had gone to the centre with Hilde. Hilde came over from the colonies during the weekends to see Duo and she and Aalia had become friends pretty quickly. Hilde had a heart the size of the universe, immediately befriending Quatres shy sister. Trowa was glad Aalia now had another friend, beside him.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"So tell me…" Hilde said with a not so innocent tone in her voice. "What's up with you and Trowa?"

Aalia blushed. "Nothing, we are just friends."

"He looks at you like he wants to carry you off to bed." Hilde giggled.

Aalia's blush deepened. "He does not."

Hilde raised an eyebrow "Sweetie, he does. He just doesn't show it when you are looking at him."

"But…" Aalia sighed. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Who is Cathy?"

Aalia had wanted to know who the woman in Trowa's life was, but she hadn't dared to ask Trowa himself. This Cathy had called a couple of times and she had heard the gentle tone in Trowa's voice when he talked to her over the phone.

Hilde heard the sad undertone in Aalia's voice and smiled.

"Cathy is a girl in the circus. She met Trowa during the war and sees him as a little brother. She is very nice," Hilde put her hand on top of Aalia's, "Don't worry okay?"

Aalia smiled relieved. "I just wondered who she was, that's all."

"Why didn't you ask Trowa?"

"I… I guess I didn't want him to think that I was prying or something like that."

Hilde smiled. Aalia was to shy for her own good. If she didn't do anything about this visible attraction that Trowa had for her, well… Hilde knew Trowa well enough to know he wouldn't do anything about it either. He was way too reserved and besides that, he probably thought that Quatre might not accept it.

In Hilde's mind a plan began to form. Time to give love a little hand.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

A phone rang in a small bedroom. A hand reached out and snatched the phone of the hook. A voice answered in Arabic.

"Hello?"

The sleepy man's eyes widened when he heard the name of the person who was calling him. A smirk spread on his face. "Yes?"

He listened to what the person had to say. "That's going to cost you money. What's the girl's name?"

He grabbed a notebook and a pen and started writing. _Aalia Jewhara Winner. _He doodled something around the name. "How do you want me to take care of her?"

He grinned as he heard how the girl was supposed to die. "I'll see to it."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

When Aalia came home that afternoon she felt like she had bought another brand new wardrobe. Hilde had been a little bit too enthusiastic about shopping and had gotten Aalia so far to try out many outfits. She had never had so much fun in her life before.

She found Trowa lounging on the couch. His eyes were closed, so she assumed he was asleep. She smiled. She quietly walked into the hallway towards the bedroom and decided to change in the new

dress she had bought. It was simple but nice and comfortable, with a tucked in waist and a flowing skirt. The blue color brought out her eyes.

When she walked back into the living room with bare feet, Trowa was awake. She met his gaze with a smile and showed her dress. "What do you think?"

"You look pretty," he said.

She blushed. "I bought a lot more. Hilde is a bad influence."

A small smile spread on his face. "She is nice, huh?"

"Yes! She is a great friend." Aalia looked at her dress again, happy with the fact that she had bought it with a friend.

Trowa thought she looked beautiful in that dress. It brought out her eyes, making them seem more blue an mysterious. He noticed she was wearing some make-up, probably Hilde's doing. He scowled. Hilde was trying to set them up.

Aalia noticed Trowa's expression and sat down next to him on the ground. She put her elbows on the edge of the couch and rested her chin on her hands. "Is there something wrong?"

He patted the top of her head. "No."

"Then why are you looking like that?"

"It's nothing, really." He smiled.

"If you say so." Aalia smiled, but concern was clear in her eyes.

He smiled back at her.

"You know, I tried walking on high heels today." Aalia giggled as she remembered.

Trowa smirked. "How was it?"

"Painful, but good for someone who has never worn high heels before."

He shook his head in amusement. Maybe he should stop cursing the situation like he did. As long as she didn't notice anything about his behavior, he didn't have to worry about anything.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

On deserted road in Egypt a man was driving towards the airport. He had collected all the information he could find about his victim. He knew she had gone to Europe and had gone to Brussels by plane. But since all the flights to Europe went via Brussels, she could be anywhere. He smirked. It was just a matter of time before he knew in which country she was. He had hired someone to go to the hospital where the girl had stayed to question the staff. He himself would go to Europe so that he could go and search for the girl the moment his partner contacted him with the information.

Aalia Jewhara Winner would be history in a matter of days…

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Lady Une was pacing in her office. Back and forth she went, a worried expression on her face. Finally the door to her office opened and Trowa walked in.

"You wanted to see me?" Trowa asked.

" Yes." Lady Une stopped pacing. "Afzal Kadeem made a phone call last night, with a cell phone he bought from a guard."

Trowa swore and balled his fists.

"The person he contacted is William Sprangler. We have suspected him of being involved in Afzal Kadeems businesses as an assassin for a couple of months now. A couple of hours after the phone call surveillance cameras on the airport filmed him while checking in to a flight to Brussels." Une turned the screen of her computer around, showing Trowa a picture of William Sprangler.

Trowa didn't recognize the man. "I don't know him."

"How about this man?" Une showed him another photo.

"No." Trowa shook his head.

"Two local preventers arrested him when he threatened employees in the hospital in Cairo."

"What did he want?"

"Information on the girl that you found in the basement."

"Do they know she is living with me?"

Une send him a pointed look to show that she didn't like his involvement with the victim in one of his cases. "I don't know. But you need to know that they also might be after you."

"Afzal Kadeem threatened me when we arrested him. He said that no man will have Aalia," Trowa said, "That is enough for me to know he would want William Sprangler to kill Aalia."

Une sighed. "Get this girl to a safe place. I think it would be good if you disappear for some time too."

Trowa nodded.

"I have arranged for a private shuttle to take you to the colony C6155. No one will know where you went," Une said, "Contact Duo and Heero to make sure they know about this and get going. The shuttle will leave in three hours."

Trowa quickly left the office while dialing Heero's cell phone number.

"Trowa."

"Watch your back. They are after Aalia."

- End chapter 4 –

I know it's kind of short compared to the other chapters, but I hope you enjoyed it!  
Review please!


	5. Chapter 5

Another update! Jeej :D

Between my internship and reading my ever growing pile of books (I get sick thinking about it), I found time to write and update! I have some cool ideas for a plot twist so... Yeah...

About the pile of books: I read almost every genre in books there is. Right now I have a pile of at least forty books that I still have to read and it keeps growing thanks to this wonderful like site we have in the Netherlands and my cousin. We exchange our books and well... It's not really normal how much we read, hahaha...

Aaaaanyways enjoy this chapter!!!!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything!!!

For the heart I once had

Chapter 5

_Heaven today is but a way  
To a place I once called home  
Heart of a child, one final sigh  
As another love goes cold_

Once my heart beat to the rhythm of the falling snow  
Blackened below, the river now flows  
A stream of molten virgin snow

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Living today without a way  
To understand the weight of the world  
Faded and torn, old and forlorn  
My weak and hoping heart

For the child, for the light  
For the heart I once had  
I`ll believe and foresee  
Everything I could ever be

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Time will not heal a Dead Boy`s scars  
Time will kill

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Aalia looked up when Trowa rushed into the apartment. "Pack everything you have. We're leaving."

"What? Why?" She got up and went after him into the bedroom.

"Afzal has send an assassin after you." Trowa grabbed a bag and a suitcase. He gave the suitcase to her, since it was bigger. "I need you to pack everything you have. I don't want anyone to find anything that can trace you back to me."

She understood. If they found out she was with Trowa, they just had to search for him in order to find her. "Were are we going?" She asked while she started putting her clothes into the suitcase.

"Une has arranged for a shuttle to take us to the colonies. We're staying in a house that Quatre owns. It's a secure place. None will know where we went." Trowa went into the bathroom to grab her bag of toiletries and her shampoo and shower gel. She put it in her suitcase as well.

She grabbed the diaries and pictures from the desk and the jewelry box from the nightstand. Trowa gave her the care bear and she was relieved to find that it fit in the suitcase as well. "I'm sorry about this, Trowa."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault. "

He put some more stuff in his back and zipped it up. "Let's go."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Aalia couldn't relax after the shuttle had taken off. She clutched the armrests of her seat in white knuckled hands as she stared out of the small window. It had been a long time since she had been in outer space. The last time had been when her mother had died. She had gone back to earth then, devastated that she had lost her mother and her Gundam at the same time. Trowa had come after her, wanting to take her back. It had been stupid of her to leave in the first place. The moment she had set foot on earth she had ran into Afzal...

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"You're supposed to come with me."

"No way!" Aalia glared at the man standing in front of her. "I'm not doing anything."

"Don't you understand? Your father promised you to me. And if you refuse to come out of free will, I will force you."

She lifted her chin in a stubborn manner. "I will not come with you. Leave me alone."

She pushed past him and started walking towards the exit of the spaceport. A hand clasped around her arm like a shackle, pulling her to an abrupt halt. "Don't play games with me, girl."

She looked at Afzal over her shoulder. He was glaring at her. There was something cruel in his eyes that chilled her to the bone. How could her father promise her to such a man?

"Aalia?"

Nanashi… He was here! She turned towards the sound of his voice and shook of the hand on her arm.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I've come to take you back," he said, while eyeing the man behind her with a deadly glint in his eyes.

She walked over towards him. "I can't go back. I… I don't want to."

"I made a promise to your mother and I intend to keep it. Let's go."

She sighed and walked after him. "I booked a flight back to the colony for next week. The Alliance wants to screen every flight that goes to the colony, so that is why it takes so long."

Aalia said nothing. She could feel Afzals glare in her back. She had a feeling of dread in her stomach. It was a stupid mistake to go to earth.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The arrival in the colonies spaceport was secured by a team of special preventers, who had strict orders not to register the incoming shuttle. Neither Aalia nor Trowa had to identify themselves and after getting their luggage they were escorted to a car. One of the preventers gave Trowa the keys of the car and left them.

Aalia sighed. "Are you sure it is safe?"

Trowa nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

He grabbed the suitcase and his bag and put them in the trunk of the car. He drove them to the house and Aalia gaped.

"Don't look so surprised. I told you it was your brother's house." Trowa sounded amused.

"Well… in case they find out where we are… there should be enough place to hide in this." She stepped out of the car and stared at the house in amazement. It was huge, despite the fact that it was build on a colony. "This is huge."

"When it comes to houses, your brother has no modesty. He calls houses like these small."

"Right… And his Gundam used to be a little toy." Trowa noticed the way she spoke and smiled. That sounded kinda like the way she used to talk when they were younger. He was happy she was getting some of her old spunk back.

They went into the house. Upon entry Trowa noticed the security systems that were installed. Intruding was impossible. Or at least: it should be. He knew better than to underestimate their enemy.

Aalia was looking around in awe at the elegant furniture. "I could get used to this…" she said with a soft giggle.

"You're a Winner after all." Trowa ruffled her hair and took their luggage upstairs. "If you want, you can take a shower, while I'll check the security systems. I also know there is a library somewhere in here."

Her eyes lit up at the mentioning of books. "That's great."

She followed him up the stairs and into a long hallway with doors on both sides. "Which room do you want?" he asked.

It suddenly dawned upon her that they might not share a room. She stopped walking and stared ahead. She didn't want to sleep alone. Trowa made her feel safe and secure enough to sleep peacefully. She felt panic rise up like bubble inside of her. "Trowa…"

He turned away from the door he had just opened and noticed the look in her eyes. He saw the panic in them and he immediately understood she didn't want to sleep alone. He held out his hand and smiled slightly. "Come here."

She rushed towards him and into his awaiting arms and held onto him tightly. "I'm sorry. I just don't want to sleep alone."

He kissed the top of her head. "It's okay."

She smiled and let go of him. "Thank you."

She walked into the room after him and opened the suitcase. "How long will we stay here?"

"I don't know. I think until that assassin is arrested." Trowa opened his bag and started to put his clothes into the closet.

"Will Quatre come over?"

"Only if he has some business to do around here. By now, people should know you're his sister and they will follow every move he makes. It's too dangerous to let him come over here without having a sufficient reason."

"Hmm…" She nodded.

She unpacked the suitcase and went to take a shower. When she returned Trowa was no longer in the room. She found him downstairs, checking the security systems. She left him to tend to it and wandered around the house to try and find the library. She found it in the south wing of the house and searched the large amount of shelves for something interesting to read. She gasped when she found a copy of a book that was her favorite as a child. She took it from the shelf and noticed how damaged the cover was, like it had been read a countless times. She held the book in her head and moved to another shelf.

After an hour she had gathered some books and she went back to the north wing of the house. Trowa was working on his laptop in the living room. She joined him on the couch and put the books on the coffee table.

"Did you find anything?" He asked, while looking up.

"Look at this." She held up the old children's book and he smiled.

"Your mother used to read it to us." Although he had considered himself too old for the stories Quaterine used to read to them, he still had enjoyed them. Quaterine had had a very pleasant voice to listen to and she had made all the stories an adventure. He remembered how Aalia had always looked forward to the time of day where Quaterine would open the book. "It seems someone else was very fond of the book as well."

She giggled. "Of course. It's the best book for a child to have."

Trowa's laptop beeped and he looked at the screen again. He opened the newly arrived email and quickly read the contents. He cursed.

"What?"

"He broke into my apartment an hour after we left."

Aalia's eyes widened. "Did he take anything?"

"I don't think so. Duo and Wufei tried to stop him, but Duo got shot."

"How is he?"

"Wufei writes that he is whining about wanting to go home, so I think he should be fine." With a sigh Trowa closed the laptop and put it on the table.

He didn't like the fact that he had to hide somewhere in the colonies, because some man in prison wouldn't accept defeat. Aalia put her hand on his arm.

"Thank you for doing this for me, Trowa," she said softly. "I… I don't want to be his victim anymore. I've been thinking and I think my body is strong enough now to start working out."

He looked at her. "We might as well do something while we're here."

She nodded. "Will you help me?"

"Yes." He put a lock of hair behind her ear. "But you must promise me something."

"Hmm?" Gods, she was so beautiful.

"When we get back I want you to talk to someone at the preventer headquarters."

Her eyes narrowed when she realized what he meant. "No. I will have to get over this myself."

He smiled slightly at her stubbornness. "Okay, but if it doesn't work out you'll do it anyway."

"Fine." She moved and lay down, resting her head on his lap. He stroked her hair in an absentminded way as he stared out of the window.

"Trowa?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad I'm in this with you."

She shouldn't say things like that. It made his heart tighten in his chest.

"Me too," he said, finally.

Aalia smiled secretly and closed her eyes. She hoped… She hoped he felt the same way about her as she felt about him.

- End Chapter 5 –

I know it's short, but next chapter will be longer... and nicer! hehehe... Review please!!!

xxx Kimberley


	6. Chapter 6

I wanted to update much earlier, but due to another trade fair and all this shit happening at my internship I didn't have time. Sorry :P

Hope you enjoy this chapter! The lemon is posted on Freedom of Speech fanfiction, so check it out!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the plot and Aalia are mine!

For the heart I once had

Chapter 6

_Heaven today is but a way  
To a place I once called home  
Heart of a child, one final sigh  
As another love goes cold_

Once my heart beat to the rhythm of the falling snow  
Blackened below, the river now flows  
A stream of molten virgin snow

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Living today without a way  
To understand the weight of the world  
Faded and torn, old and forlorn  
My weak and hoping heart

For the child, for the light  
For the heart I once had  
I`ll believe and foresee  
Everything I could ever be

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Time will not heal a Dead Boy`s scars  
Time will kill

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Aalia sighed wistfully as she watched the rain fall from the artificial sky. After being locked up in a basement for five years, she enjoyed all kinds of weather. She jus wished she was on earth to witness a natural rain shower instead of the colony's artificial ones. She was sitting on the patio of the house, enjoying the smell of wet flowers. It's wasn't cold, so she was wearing her blue dress again. In a week's time it had become one of her favorites. She loved the way Trowa looked at her whenever she wore it. He was inside, paying no mind to her enjoyment of the rain. He was busy talking to Wufei about the case over a secured vid-phone line. She could hear his voice drift through the open doors. She had finished the children's book and was now reading Pride and Prejudice. It was an old edition, and she struggled to understand the old-fashioned English. But she desperately wanted to speak English again in the way that she used to. It irritated her that she had become so useless in a lot of areas in the hands of Afzal.

Beside her trouble with the English language, she had forgotten how to handle a gun, she didn't know how to hack into computer systems anymore and what irritated her most of all: she couldn't handle sparring with Trowa in the way that she used to. She knew she was pushing her body to its limit's but she had to get strong again. When they came for her she wanted to fight next to Trowa.

Aalia got up and walked to the edge of the patio. She reached out her hand, feeling the raindrops fall down on her skin. She no longer heard Trowa's voice, but she could feel his eyes on her. He was watching her. She took another step forward and stepped into the rain. She turned her face to the sky and sighed.

"You're going to get sick like that." Trowa's voice sounded right behind her and his hands came to rest on her shoulders.

"No, I won't." She smiled.

His hands felt warm on her shoulders. She leaned back, until her back was against his chest and his arms came around to wrap her up in his embrace. It was so natural for them to act like this. She just wished he would add the pressure of his lips to it. She could feel the heat of his body through the tin T-shirt he wore. Her hands came up to stroke the skin on his arm. They stood like that for a long time. Aalia turned around when she started to get cold and gulped.

Water droplets clung to his face and hair. His eyes were dark, keeping hers captive with a look that made her feel warm all over. He leaned closer and she held her breath in anticipation. His lips touched hers gently. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back eagerly. One of his hands came up to hold the back of her head, the other rested on the small of her back, pressing her against him. He deepened the kiss, his tongue dancing with hers in a seductive dance that left her whimpering with need.

"Trowa…" she moaned in his mouth.

She tasted like the honey she had put in her tea earlier. The scent of her wet hair filled his nose thrills, making him drunk with it. Weeks of pent up frustration came back at him, instantly arousing him. Her fingers massaged the back of his neck, slid down his back, her fingertips pressing into his skin through the fabric of his T-shirt. The rain continued to fall down on him, but neither he nor Aalia paid attention to it, both being lost in the kiss. He tore his mouth from hers, dragging it over her jaw to her neck, where he worshipped the soft skin.

She gasped and clung to him as her head fell back in surrender to his ministrations. Sensations rushed through her, heating her desire. She needed him. She shuddered when he found her pulse point and left a mark on the skin there.

"Aalia…" He murmured her name against her skin, his voice husky and laced with desire.

He found her mouth again. His hands slid down to her hips. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He broke the kiss and pulled back a little to look at her. Her lips were swollen, her eyes heavy lidded and dark with desire. It was all he needed to know.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Aalia sighed as she woke up. Trowa lay next to her, his hand caressing her back. "Is it morning already?" She asked sleepily.

"Hmmm…" He moved to kiss her shoulder.

She felt the heat spark again. It was amazing how her body responded to the simple touch, despite the fact that she was sore. The memories of the previous afternoon and evening were sweet. He had made love to her so many times she forgot the count. He had done earth shattering thing to her.

She turned onto her back and stretched lazily. She ran a hand through his sleep tousled hair and smiled at him. He pressed a kiss against her forehead. "I have to call Quatre."

The bubble burst and she was back in the reality. Once again she was a haunted woman. The passion of yesterday seemed far away, more like a dream.

"Are you going to tell him?" She asked.

"No." He smiled at her. "Let's keep it to ourselves for a little while longer."

She smiled back, but she felt uncertain. He hadn't said anything to her last night about how he felt. Was it just lust or also love? She didn't know and it saddened her a bit.

He kissed her on the lips. "Come shower with me."

She let him pull her out of bed and into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and waited until the water had reached a nice temperature. He stepped under the spray of warm water and she joined him. He wrapped one arm around her and reached for her shampoo. He washed her hair and bathed her body in a gentle and tender way. There was still desire, but it could wait. He knew she needed tenderness right now. He rained butterfly kisses on her face, enjoying the way she felt in his arms. She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. He might not have said it, but his actions spoke loud enough for her to understand.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Trowa hoped that Quatre wouldn't notice anything as he dialed the number on the vid phone. He had made sure the line was secure and waited for his friend to pick up. Quatres face popped up on the screen. There was a worried expression on his face.

"What's wrong Quatre?" Trowa asked.

Aalia looked up from the book she was reading and dropped it. She rushed to Trowa's side and sat down next to him. "Quatre?"

"I don't know how this man did it, but Heero is in a pretty bad shape," Quatre said.

"What?!? What happened?" Aalia grabbed hold of Trowa's hand. First Duo, now Heero… Who would be next?

"Heero was close to catching him and…" Quatre swallowed, visibly shaken up by what had happened. "He got shot. He almost died."

Aalia felt tears come up. They spilled down her cheeks and she clasped her hand in front of her mouth too keep from sobbing. Trowa wrapped her up in his arms and held her.

"How bad is it?" he asked.

"He still on the intensive care."

"This is all because of me," Aalia sobbed.

"Aalia," Quatre said, "Look at me."

She reluctantly met her brother's gaze. "You did nothing wrong, okay? You don't have to feel guilty about anything."

"But…"

Trowa cupped her cheek and forced her to look at him. "Your brother is right. This is not your fault."

"I still feel bad about it."

"So do I." He kissed her forehead and she snuggled against him once again, needing his comfort.

He turned his attention back to Quatre. "Yesterday I spoke to Wufei, but he didn't mention anything about Heero, so I take it that it happened afterwards?"

Quatre nodded. "I have joined the search for this man as well. He needs to be stopped."

"Be careful."

"I will. Take care of my sister for me."

"You don't need to worry about that. I wish I was there to help you." Trowa tightened his arms around Aalia.

"I have to go," Quatre said, "I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah."

Aalia looked at her brother and smiled weakly. "Be careful, Quatre."

"Don't worry, I will."

The connection was broken and Aalia sighed. Her hands were visibly shaking. She looked at Trowa.

"Heero will be okay," he assured her.

"How do you know? He got shot."

He smiled. "Self detonated once."

"Really?"

He nodded. "I know he will be okay."

She sighed. "I don't want people to risk their lives for me. I don't want you to risk your life."

"I'll do it anyway." He pressed a kiss against her lips. "I'll do it because you're worth it."

She smiled at him. "Thank you."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

In a hotel room in Madrid the assassin sat behind a laptop. He had fled to Spain. The preventers were getting too close to him in Belgium. But he had taken two of them down. Ironically it were two preventers who had been involved in the arrest of Afzal Kadeem. He knew his information well. Despite the fact that he still hadn't found the girl, he knew that Afzal was pleased with what he had accomplished. Money had been transferred after he had shot the first preventer and he had just received another transaction. He figured he should kill the other preventer that was involved as well.

Trowa Barton would be his next target. He knew he was with the girl. He would get rid of the preventer first and then he would torture and kill the girl. He smirked when a screen with information popped up on his screen. He now knew where the preventer and the girl were. Time to go. He loved his job.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Aalia was shooting at a target, happy she was getting a better aim. Trowa was watching her from the side. She put down the gun to recharge it and brought the target closer. All shots were dangerously close to the heart. She grinned. "I'm getting better."

"Try the head now."

The gun was reloaded and the target put back in place. She fired her shots. Trowa stood up and walked over after she put the gun down again. He brought the target close and saw she had hit it dead on. She was back in shape and deadly. Like the way she used to be.

She smiled at him. He smiled back and kissed her. "Congratulations."

The past few days had been hard on her. She was more shaken up about Heero getting hurt that she initially thought. Thankfully Trowa was there for her and she had insisted on training harder. Her body was getting stronger, her shots better. She was happy with what she had accomplished. She wanted this assassin gone so she could pick up her life again.

Trowa's hands caressed her arms. Heat sparked and she shivered. He could set her on fire with one touch. She knew his body now. Five years ago, during that one night she hadn't had time for an exploration. Now, she new everything. And in turn, he knew everything about her and he wasn't ashamed of enjoying her body. Every day he would tease her, make her long for the night. He would seduce her, slowly driving her crazy. And then… she flushed as she remembered last night.

Trowa watched the flush color her cheeks a light pink. Satisfied with the effect he had on her, he let her go after pressing a kiss to the sensitive spot behind her ear. She whimpered, desire flaming hot inside of her. She was disappointed when he let her go and glared at him. He grinned at her and walked out of the room. She followed him. He would pay for that.

She found him in the living room, in front of the vid phone. She heard Wufei talking.

"I don't know how, but he found out where you are. Be very careful."

Her eyes widened in shock.

"When can we expect him?" Trowa asked. He seemed so calm. How did he do that?

"I think pretty soon. The thing is he always does what we expect the least. This guy is a professional."

"I'll keep that in mind. Hurry up."

The connection was broken and Trowa turned towards her. "Wufei and Quatre are on their way. Make sure your gun is loaded."

She nodded. "Let's take him down."

He stood up and reached for her. She stepped into his arms and kissed him.

"I want you to be very careful," he said, "I didn't get you out of that basement only to lose you again."

"Only if you promise me you'll be careful as well."

"You have my word."

"And you have mine."

He pressed his mouth against hers in a deep kiss, full of desire. She murmured in approval and tossed her own desire back at him. He held her tight; there was not an inch between them. She could feel his determination to survive in the kiss. It gave her strength.

He broke the kiss and rested his chin on top of her head. She sighed and inhaled his scent deeply. "I have to go and load my gun," she said.

"Hmm…" He kissed her forehead. "Get it and hurry back."

She smiled and rushed into the training room. She reloaded her gun and made sure she had enough extra bullets. She walked back into the living room. Trowa was there, inspecting his own gun. He put on the safety and tugged it into his back pocket. He took her hand and led her into the hallway and up the stairs. He took her to the end of the hallway, past their bedroom. At the end, just before the staircase that led to the west wing of the house, he opened the last door on right and Aalia was surprised to find another staircase there. She hadn't really bothered to check the rest of the hallway, assuming that behind all the doors were bedrooms.

"In case something happens to me, I want you to go down this staircase. Lock the door behind you and follow to where it leads."

She glared at him. "In case something happens, we'll both leave."

He shook his head at her stubbornness. "He'll try to take me out first."

"I know." She squeezed his hand. "You better make sure it doesn't happen."

He smiled at her and closed the door. "Stay here. I go downstairs."

"What the hell are you thinking!? I'm staying by your side!"

He let go of her hand and walked back to the staircase. "Remember, he is alone and we're a team."

She followed him to the staircase, but didn't descent it. _I love you, _she thought.

Just when he had disappeared from her view, she heard a sound from somewhere else in the house.

He was here!

- End chapter 6 -

Review please!

-xxx- Kimberley


	7. Chapter 7

I'm so frustrated!

I only got one review for the last chapter. :(

Come on people, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS STORY!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own GW or For the heart I once had by Nightwish.

For the heart I once had

Chapter 7

_Heaven today is but a way__  
To a place I once called home  
Heart of a child, one final sigh  
As another love goes cold_

Once my heart beat to the rhythm of the falling snow  
Blackened below, the river now flows  
A stream of molten virgin snow

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Living today without a way  
To understand the weight of the world  
Faded and torn, old and forlorn  
My weak and hoping heart

For the child, for the light  
For the heart I once had  
I`ll believe and foresee  
Everything I could ever be

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Time will not heal a Dead Boy`s scars  
Time will kill

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Trowa silently crept through the house, sticking to the shadows. He had heard a sound from somewhere in the house, not long after he had descended the staircase. He hoped Aalia would stay upstairs. Despite the fact that he knew she was strong and could her own, he'd rather not bring her into potential danger.

He stopped at the end of the hallway and grabbed his gun. He quietly took of the safety and peeked around the corner. The hallway around the corner was empty. He held his gun in front of him and stepped into the hallway. He stayed there for a moment, listening for any sounds. He heard none. He started walking and abruptly halted as the lights went out. Shit…

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Aalia quietly walked down the hallway towards the staircase to the west wing. She wasn't going to stay put and let him do all the work. The assassin was alone and she and Trowa had the advantage of knowing the house. She kept her gun in her hands and quietly kicked off her shoes. She descended the stairs and opened the door at the end of the staircase. She winced when the door creaked softly, but other than that she heard no sound. She checked the hallway, found it empty and started to walk. Suddenly the lights went out.

She could suppress her gasp of surprise and she halted to let her eyes get used to the dark. Then she continued her way. She checked the kitchen, library and other rooms, but found them all empty. She stopped again when she heard a sound. She listened intently. It sounded like a scuffle was taking place somewhere in the house. She started to follow the sounds and then…

Her gasp was audible this time as she heard a gunshot. She quickly made her way towards the living room and made sure the room was empty before entering. The room was dark, but in the middle the moonlight shone through the skylight. She carefully made her way into the room, making sure to stick to the shadows. She was sure she heard the gunshot come from the living room, but it was dead silent. She felt a feeling of dread in her stomach. Something was not right.

She tripped over something and fell to the ground. Her gun clattered against the tiles. She reached out and grabbed it, while carefully moving away into a corner. She heard footsteps coming towards the living room.

Suddenly she realized that the thing she had tripped over was not a piece of furniture. The smell of blood was in the air. She felt panicked when she realized that the footsteps that were still coming for her weren't Trowa's. No, they held a heavier tread.

She carefully moved away from the corner. Tears burned in her eyes as she crawled closer and her fingers touched something wet on the ground. God, no! The smell of blood was sickening. There was so much of it. Her mouth opened in a silent scream as she realized that she had tripped over Trowa's body…

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The assassin heard the girls breathing. It was labored and she was radiating panic and something else… It was obvious that the girl and the preventer had been more than friends. He had been lucky. This preventer had completely surprised him. He had been so quiet he had almost not heard him. He hadn't heard any footsteps. There was just a quiet rush of air behind him as the preventer had jumped in the air to do a move he had only seen in the circus. The preventer had attacked him, fought with him, but in the end William had drawn his gun and had shot him. He had been very lucky indeed. Because of the fact that the preventer and the girl had been involved, the preventer had been determined not to let him get away. He had been dead if he hadn't drawn his gun to shoot the guy.

He was still alive and he was going to kill the girl.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Aalia scrambled away from Trowa's body, while tears rolled down her cheeks. He was going to die and the assassin was still around. She quickly wiped her tears away, not caring if her cheeks got smeared with blood. She had to stop him, so she could get help.

The assassin entered the room with a smirk on his face. Realizing that he probably assumed she was unarmed, she kept her gun out of sight.

"What do you want from me?" She asked with a trembling voice.

The assassins smirk widened. "I'm paid to do what my clients ask. I don't care about my victims."

She scooted backward against the wall when he took out a knife and held it up for her to see. The metal glinted cold in the moonlight. "I'm going to have so much fun playing around with you."

She wanted to get him out of the room and moved alongside the wall to the side door. He stalked her. The moment she got the door open, she jumped up and made a dash for the hallway. He followed her and jumped to the ground. He grabbed her ankles and tackled her to the ground. She screamed as he drove the knife into her calve. She turned onto her back and kicked him in the face. He cursed and sat up, pulling his knife free. Aalia sat up as well and aimed her gun at his head.

"I will never let you take my life," she hissed with a glare.

He smirked. "Really?"

She clicked the safety off and his smirk faded. "You won't get away with hurting people I care about. And you will never kill again. I'll make sure of it."

He was staring at her with a cold and deadly glint in his eyes. She had to act quickly so she could get back to Trowa. She also needed to tend to her wound. She felt blood slowly running down her leg.

She relaxed her finger slightly on the trigger. It was just to distract him and he dashed for the gun. Aalia pulled the trigger. The sound of the gunshot echoed through the hallway. The assassin fell backwards, while blood poured out of the wound in his chest. Aalia made sure he was dead before getting up. She limped into the living room and made her way over to Trowa.

She knelt next to him and took his upper body into her arms. "Trowa?"

He didn't react. His body felt cold and Aalia fought her tears. She knew Wufei and Quatre were on their way. She looked at the bullet wound in Trowa's chest. It looked bad. His shirt was red with his blood. She pulled off her sweater and used it to add pressure to his wound. She rested her forehead against his. "Please," she begged brokenly, "Don't die on me."

Trowa heard her voice, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. She sounded so far away. He opened his eyes slightly and tried to ignore the stabbing pain in his chest. She was holding him close. "Aalia…"

His voice sounded so weak. She stifled a sob. "I'm here."

"Is he…"

"He is gone."

He closed his eyes. "Good."

"Try to stay awake, okay?"

He reached out and cupped her cheek. It was bloodstained he noticed. "I'm sorry I let you deal with him on your own."

She took his hand in hers and smiled slightly. "Don't worry, okay."

She heard the front door open and running footsteps.

"Aalia? Trowa?" Quatre.

"In the living room!" Aalia called back.

She kept a close eye on Trowa. His eyes were closed again. "Trowa?"

He didn't answer her. His body was so cold. Quatre rushed into the living room, followed by Wufei and a woman with blond hair.

She immediately knelt down next to him. "What happened?"

"He got shot."

Wufei was already calling for a team of paramedics on his cell phone. He snapped his phone shut and knelt down net to the woman. Quatre tried for Aalia to let go of Trowa but she refused.

"No. I don't want to let him go."

"Aalia… Let them take care of him."

She looked at her brother with shining eyes. "I don't want him to die."

"He won't," Quatre assured her.

She let go of Trowa and cuddled up against her brother. He wrapped his arms around her and held her. "You're bleeding."

"He stabbed me. It's okay. Take care of Trowa first," Aalia said when Wufei turned around to tend to her wound. "It's not so bad."

Quatre stroked her hair. "Are you okay?"

"I will be." She sighed.

A team of paramedics rushed into the room with a stretcher.

"We need to get him out of here," Sally said. "He needs blood."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The ride to the hospital passed in a blur. Aalia was taken into a room to get a look at her leg. The doctor had decided she had to be operated. Trowa was rushed into the emergency room to be operated immediately.

Aalia woke up feeling groggy and disoriented. The pain in her leg was dulled, due to the anesthetic. She tried to push back the memories of Trowa's body in a pool of blood. She needed to know how he was doing. Looked around the room and saw Quatre standing in front of the window. He hadn't noticed her waking up yet.

"Quatre." Her voice sounded weird.

He turned around and smiled slightly at her. He made his way over to the bed and sat down in the chair. "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged. "How is Trowa?"

"They're still operating him." Quatre took her hand. "He's going to make it, don't worry."

Aalia couldn't look her brother in the eyes. She suddenly felt like crying. She had realized before that after William Sprangler there could be many more assassins to come after her. She could never really be free if Afzal was still alive. But she didn't want to lose Trowa either. She loved him.

"Aalia?" Quatre's voice had a desperate undertone. "Will you look at me?"

She hesitantly met his eyes, hoping he couldn't read her feelings in them. But she knew he could. And besides that, he could also feel it, since he had these empathic abilities.

"You love him, don't you?" he asked.

Aalia blushed but nodded. "I always have."

Quatre smiled. "Don't be shy about it."

She shrugged. "I don't feel comfortable about it. I haven't told him yet."

"Why?"

"Because I was not sure how he feels about me."

Quatre's eyes showed suspicion. "What do you mean?"

"Can we please stop talking about this?" She blurted. "Really, Quatre. I need to talk to him first."

She could see that her brother was still suspicious, but he smiled and nodded. "Okay."

The door opened and a doctor walked in. "Miss Winner, how are you feeling?"

"Quite good, I guess," Aalia said.

"The operation on your leg went well. You should be able to use it fully again after the stitches have been removed." The doctor wrote something down on his clipboard. "I'll give you some special painkillers."

"Special?"

"Yes," the doctor said while looking at her over the rim of his glasses. "Are you not aware of your condition?"

Aalia stared at the doctor with a clueless expression. Quatre seemed just as clueless.

"Miss Winner," the doctor said, "You're pregnant."

"What?!?" Quatre jumped up, his face pale with shock.

"That's not possible," Aalia said, "Back in Cairo they implanted a thing in my arm to stop me from getting pregnant."

"Sometimes those implants don't work as well as they should. We had to take it out during the operation when we found out." The doctor said.

Aalia shook her head. "H-how…"

Her whole world was shook up again. A baby… Good God, she was pregnant with Trowa's child. How was she ever going to tell him? Did he even want a child? And Quatre…

She turned towards her brother and reached for his hand. He clasped her hand in his and squeezed it lightly. "It will be okay."

She looked at him with eyes that shone with tears. "You're not angry, are you?"

He shook his head. "Why should I be? You love him and I know he would never use a woman just for fun."

Aalia sighed in relief. For a moment she had been afraid of Quatre getting angry at her. She was used to the way Afzal had looked at her like she was some whore. She had expected Quatre to be angry, but he wasn't. He actually seemed quite happy.

The doctor left the room after he had checked her vitals and then it was waiting for news about Trowa. The anesthetic was wearing off and her leg started itching. After a while the itch became an irritating pain. An hour later it felt like it was on fire. "Quatre…" she gasped.

"Are you okay?"

"My leg hurts."

"I'll go get you some painkillers." He kissed her forehead and walked out of the room.

Aalia gritted her teeth against the pain. Tears gathered in her eyes. She wanted Trowa… She needed to feel his arms around her; she needed him to tell her that everything would be alright, that he loved her…

Quatre rushed back into the room with a small white box in his hand. "The doctor was on his way to drop them off. He will be here soon."

Aalia took a painkiller and swallowed it with some water. Quatre sat down on the edge of her bed and ran a hand over her hair.

"I want you to promise me something," she said softly.

"Hmm?"

"Don't tell Trowa anything. I want to tell him everything myself."

"I promise." He said while hugging her. "Are you afraid I might tell him?"

She sighed. "I trust you Quatre, but I'm not used to trusting people."

"I know…" He stroked her hair. "I'll make sure the doctor doesn't tell him either."

She smiled. "Thank you."

- End chapter 7 -

REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!


	8. Chapter 8

Update! Hahaha... finally...  
I was planning on updating a week ago, but I had to clean up my closet, so... Anyway, I'm doing it now! :P

I want to thank LilXibit57 and invisible-gurl for reviewing the previous chapter! It means a lot to me! Thank you so much!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, 'cept for Aalia and the plot!

For the heart I once had

Chapter 8

_Heaven today is but a way__  
To a place I once called home  
Heart of a child, one final sigh  
As another love goes cold_

Once my heart beat to the rhythm of the falling snow  
Blackened below, the river now flows  
A stream of molten virgin snow

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Living today without a way  
To understand the weight of the world  
Faded and torn, old and forlorn  
My weak and hoping heart

For the child, for the light  
For the heart I once had  
I`ll believe and foresee  
Everything I could ever be

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Time will not heal a Dead Boy`s scars  
Time will kill

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Trowa woke up, feeling disoriented. His chest hurt. It felt like someone had hit him with a baseball bat. His head hurt too… Where the hell was he? He opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a hospital. Judging by the curtain that was drawn around his bed, he was probably on the intensive care. What had happened?

He closed his eyes and tried to recall what had happened. He remembered Aalia practicing her shooting, Wufei's call, him fighting with the assassin, the gunshot and then… nothing. He couldn't remember anything else. Had Aalia made it out alive?

He tried to sit up and groaned. His body protested against the sudden movement and the pain in his chest got worse. He fell back on the bed, gasping for air. The curtain moved and was pushed aside. A nurse looked at him in surprise.

"Mister Barton! What are you trying to do?" she rushed to his bedside as he tried to sit up again. She pushed him back on the bed. "Stay down."

"Aalia…" he said. "Is she alright?"

"Miss Winner is fine," The nurse said. "Lie down. The doctor will be here soon."

"I need to see her," Trowa urged.

"I'll see if she is awake after the doctor has checked up on you," the nurse promised.

Trowa sighed in relief after hearing those words. Aalia was alive and well. Good. The doctor came and checked his vitals. "You can be moved to a different room now."

The nurse had gone to see if Aalia was awake and came back a little while later. "After we have moved you to a different room, she'll come to see you."

Trowa felt frustrated. He wanted to see her now. But he couldn't get up and he knew the nurse would keep a close eye on him, in case he decided to try to get up again. He just had to wait…

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Aalia was giddy with excitement. Trowa was awake and he had asked for her! Quatre was at the house at the moment. Crime scene cleaners were at work there. It was perfect. She could talk to Trowa in private now. A nurse came into the room and gave her a pair of crutches. A few days ago Aalia had been allowed to go out of bed, but she had refused to sit down in a wheelchair. She had asked for a pair of crutched right away. Her leg was healing nicely, but the doctor wanted to keep her until the stitched had to be removed so he could check how she could use her leg. Aalia didn't mind. She had another week to go and now that Trowa was awake she could spend her time with him.

She made her way to Trowa's room, clad in sweatpants and a simple top. She opened the door and peeked inside. He was awake and staring at the ceiling with a blank expression on his face.

"Trowa?"

He looked at her and his lips twitched into a small smile. "Hey."

She quickly made her way inside and put her crutches against the wall after she sat down on the edge of the bed. He reached for her and pulled her towards him. "Careful," she gasped in surprise.

"I'm not allowed to sit up," He said, "The nurse said she'd strap me down if I tried one more time."

She tried to move carefully to avoid the wound on his chest but he didn't seem to care. He pulled her closer and kissed her. She kissed him back eagerly. After a week of being worried sick about him it was good to be held by him again. His lips were gentle against hers. She pulled back after a while and smiled at him.

"I'm so glad you are okay," she said softly. "I was so scared when I found you in the living room."

He frowned. "I don't remember."

She carefully rested her head against his shoulder. "It's okay. It's something I want to forget about too."

He ran his hands through her hair. "What happened to your leg?"

"He stabbed me," she said, "and he didn't know I had a gun, so I guess his death came a little bit unexpected to him."

"Hmm…" Trowa smiled and kissed her forehead.

She propped herself up on her elbows and smiled shyly at him. "I have to tell you something."

"Hmm?"

"The doctor discovered that I'm pregnant."

Trowa stared at her in surprise. "What? How?"

Aalia gave him a pointed look that said 'How the hell do you think I got pregnant?' Trowa sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I thought they had you on that hormone implant."

"Yeah, I was. Apparently it didn't work so well," she said while resting her head on his shoulder again. She didn't want to look at him while he was so shocked. It made her feel unsure of herself.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her.

"So what will we do now?" She asked.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "Let's focus on getting out of here first."

She smiled. So he didn't want her to go anywhere.

"Just so you know…" he murmured in her hair, "I love you."

Her smile widened. She looked at him again and kissed him. "I love you too."

He cupped her neck and pulled her closer. He kissed her hungrily. Aalia sighed into his mouth, her hands gripping the fabric of his shirt. His fingers tangled in her hair as he pulled her even closer.

"Aalia…" He murmured when she pulled away. "I wasn't done kissing you."

She blushed, but firmly kept her distance. "I'm just being careful."

"I'm fine," he insisted. "Now kiss me."

She pressed her lips against his again and sighed when he deepened the kiss.

Someone cleared his throat. Aalia pulled back and looked at the doorway. She flushed a deep crimson when she saw Quatre standing in the doorway, but Trowa was relentless when she tried to sit up. He pulled her close to him. In front of her brother he had claimed her. Despite the fact that she was a little embarrassed, she also felt happy. It would be alright…

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Afzal Kadeem was pacing in his cell. His plan had failed. William was dead. Killed by the whore. How was it possible? Of course… the nameless bastard! Afzals's eyes narrowed with anger and hatred. He would make Trowa Barton suffer. The whore had to die…

He had already made some new arrangements. He had been able to buy another guard's loyalty. Now he only had to make sure he could contact another one of his assassins.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Aalia was dreaming. She was on the colony base, trying desperately to reach her mother before it was too late. She had found out about the bombs just a few minutes ago. And Nanashi… she had to warn him too! She glanced at her watch. One minute left. She felt panic rise inside her. She wasn't going to make it!

She raced down the corridor, taking a left turn. Her mother's office was close. She ran and ran, but she knew she wouldn't make it on time.

"Mother!" she cried out when the explosion sounded. The blast threw her backwards, causing her to hit her back against the wall. "No! Mother!"

She was aware of more explosions around the base. Tears ran down her face as she got up and made her way to the end of the corridor. The door to her mother's office had collapsed. She saw Nanashi entering the room. She called out to him and hurried over to his side. He had a wound on his shoulder, but he seemed fine.

"Come on," he said.

She followed him into what was left of her mother's office. "Mother?"

There was no answer. Nanashi was examining the room and stopped short when he noticed the overturned desk. He made his way over there, climbing over parts of the collapsed ceiling. "Aalia."

She carefully climbed over the debris and gasped when she saw her mother lying next to the desk. A part of the ceiling had collapsed on top of her. Nanashi was pulling away chunks of metal and brick, trying to free Quaterine. Aalia helped him, but her tears wouldn't stop.

Finally Quaterine was freed from the debris and Aalia kneeled next to her. "Mother?"

Quaterine's eyelashes fluttered. "Aalia…"

Her voice was laced with pain. Aalia carefully pulled her mother into her arms. Quaterine opened her eyes and smiled weakly. "You're here…"

"Of course I am," Aalia sobbed. "I tried to get here sooner, but…"

"It's okay, honey," Quaterine reached out and cupped her daughter's cheek. "Don't worry about it."

Aalia's bottom lip trembled when she realized that her mother was dying. "Mother, don't die on me."

Quaterine smiled. "My time has come."

"No!" Aalia sobbed. "No…"

Quaterine looked at Nanashi. "Nanashi…," she whispered, "Nanashi, promise me you'll take care of Aalia."

Nanashi took Quaterine's hand and smiled slightly. "I promise."

"Good." Quaterine smiled at Aalia. "Listen to me. This base won't be safe anymore. You have to leave. Go to the L3 colony cluster. There is a scientist there who could help you."

Aalia nodded. "Okay."

Nanashi rested his hand on Aalia's shoulder. "We will go to the safe house first and leave from there. With all the recent security measures it's hard to book a flight for the next day."

Quaterine nodded. "Yes. Be careful."

"We will be." Aalia whispered.

"Aalia, will you do something for me?" Quaterine took her daughters hand and squeezed lightly. "If you ever meet your brother… will you tell him I'm sorry?"

"Yes mother, I will."

"I'm proud of you, Aalia. Remember that." Quaterine's voice got softer. "I love you."

"I love you too, mother." Aalia kissed her mother's forehead, while tears continued to roll down her cheeks. She couldn't believe she was losing the person who was the most important to her. She cried silently as her mother slipped away.

Nanashi wrapped his arms around her and held her. "She's gone Aalia. You can let go of her."

"No, I can't." Aalia sobbed brokenly. "I can't."

"Remember what she said," he said gently, "It's no longer safe here."

"But we can't just leave her here!" Aalia looked at him.

"We have no other choice. We can't take her with us." He ran a hand through Aalia's hair, trying to soothe her. "I'm sorry."

Aalia let go of her mother's limp body and turned towards Nanashi. "Okay…"

He helped her up and together they made their way out of the office. Nanashi took her to the sleeping quarters and Aalia looked at him with a questioning gaze.

"I figured you wanted to take some of your mother's belongings with you."

She nodded and grabbed her mother's jewelry box and some pictures that were standing on her desk. "Can I take some of my own stuff from here too?"

"Of course. I'll get you a box." Nanashi left the room.

Aalia went into her own room and grabbed her journals and some of her own pictures. She also took the care bear Nanashi had given her for her tenth birthday. She quickly packed some clothes and then hurried to Nanashi's room to pack some for him as well. She took his bag with clothes back to her room and found him packing the stuff she had selected into a box. She was relieved to find that everything fit.

"I packed some clothes for you," she said.

"Thanks." He closed the box and lifted it. He grabbed her bag as well and together they made their way to the hangar. There were several shuttles in the hangar and a couple of cars as well. Nanashi directed his gaze to a small red one. "We'll take that car. It's the least suspicious."

They quickly put their stuff in the car and Nanashi drove them out of the remains of the base towards the centre of the colony.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A week later Aalia was released from the hospital. She was relieved to find that her leg wasn't damaged and that she could still use it. Trowa had to stay a few more days, so Aalia and Quatre stayed at a hotel during those days. Aalia hadn't wanted to go back to the house, so Quatre had packed all her stuff and Trowa's as well.

During those days Aalia became more and more aware of her condition. She was pregnant! She couldn't be happier. Trowa was getting used to the idea as well. She noticed how he sometimes would rest his hand on her stomach. She was relieved. He wanted the child and they would make a small family. She smiled at the idea. Would the baby be a boy or a girl?

When Trowa was released from the hospital he wanted to go back to Brussels as soon as possible. The next day they left the colony to go back to earth. Aalia hoped her happiness would last longer than the last time.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Trowa opened the door to his apartment and pulled Aalia inside. She giggled as he swept her up in his arms after he closed the door. "You have to be more careful with lifting me up, you know," she said.

"Hmm…" he walked into the bedroom with her and lowered her onto the bed. He sat back to look at her. She took his hands with a smile and entwined their fingers. "I love you," she said.

He smiled slightly. "I love you too."

He leaned forward and captured her mouth in a gentle kiss. Aalia wrapped her arms around him and opened her mouth when he deepened the kiss. Desire stirred in her blood. He moved on top of her and she sighed as his weight settled down on her. She cradled his hips between her thighs as her hands massaged his back through his sweater. He made a noise in the back of his throat and broke the kiss. His hands cradled her head, his fingers tangling in her hair. He rained butterfly kisses on her face and she closed her eyes in bliss. She slipped her hands under his sweater, trailing her hands over his skin. He shivered and she could hear his breath hitch. She loved the effect she had on him.

With a groan he rolled of her. Aalia smiled at him in sympathy. The doctor had forbidden Trowa to over exert himself for another two weeks at least. No lovemaking until then. She cuddled up against him and kissed his cheek. "Sorry."

"Don't worry," He murmured in her hair. He wrapped his arms around her and held her.

Aalia closed her eyes and relaxed totally. She was almost asleep when he suddenly spoke up. "We need to move."

"Huh? What?" She looked up at him.

"You know… To a nice house." He seemed amused by her reaction.

"Hmm-mm…" She rested her head on his chest again. "We also need to cancel the stuff that we ordered."

"It's been delivered already."

"Crap."

He laughed. Quatre had told him that during one of their conversations over the vid-phone. Aalia's bed and furniture had been delivered three weeks before they had come home.

"We could sell it on the internet," She said.

"Hmm…" He ran a hand through her hair. "You sell it; I'll look for a house."

Aalia smiled. He wanted a future with her…

- End chapter 8 -

Reviews are most welcome! :D


	9. Chapter 9

It's kinda funny how the writing of this chapter went. I started it in April or something… and I looked at it a couple of times from then on and today again… and I just started typing and typing and typing and I'm actually almost finished with chapter 11! O.o

I was like WOW! I go fast, hahaha… As I look at it now, there will be 13 or 14 chapters in total.

Let me know what you think after this chapter! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the song For the heart I once had by Nightwish.

For the heart I once had

Chapter 9

_Heaven today is but a way__  
To a place I once called home  
Heart of a child, one final sigh  
As another love goes cold_

Once my heart beat to the rhythm of the falling snow  
Blackened below, the river now flows  
A stream of molten virgin snow

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Living today without a way  
To understand the weight of the world  
Faded and torn, old and forlorn  
My weak and hoping heart

For the child, for the light  
For the heart I once had  
I`ll believe and foresee  
Everything I could ever be

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Time will not heal a Dead Boy`s scars  
Time will kill

_For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had_

It was dark in the hallway. The guard quietly walked towards the door on the end and took out his keys. He opened the door and stepped into the cell. Afzal Kadeem sat waiting. "And?" he asked.

"I can get you a phone call tomorrow. The phone call will be recorded, so you should use some code language," The guard said.

Afzal smirked. He was once again closer to reaching his goal. The death of the whore…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Aalia quietly unlocked the door and tiptoed inside. There was a smile on her face and she practically radiated happiness. She quietly closed the door and made her way into the living room. None was there. She stood still and waited, listening for a sound.

It came, when she heard the bathroom door open and close. A moment later the shower was turned on. Trowa was there. She went into the bedroom and sat down on the bed, holding a small box in her hands. She would wait for him.

Ten minutes later Trowa entered the bedroom. He had a towel wrapped around his hips and water droplets still clung to his skin. Aalia had to bite her lip. He was so gorgeous. She eyed the forming scar on his chest. It was healing well, but there would always be a mark. He made his way over to her and bend down to kiss her. She smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, still holding the small present. She let herself fall backwards on the mattress, taking him with her. She sighed in bliss when he deepened the kiss. She put down the present and slid her hands over his back, enjoying the way his skin felt under her fingers. Trowa made a noise in the back of his throat and shivered. He broke the kiss and buried his face in her neck.

Aalia gasped when he playfully nipped her skin. She knew he was going to leave mark.

Trowa propped himself up on his elbows to look at her. "What did you bring me?"

She giggled and grabbed the present. She pushed it into his hand. He sat up and she did as well to see him open up the present. The wrapping fell onto the sheets and she smiled as she saw the expression on his face. What she had bought wasn't really a present for him. The moment she had seen it she knew she just had to have it.

Trowa held the small plastic box in his hand. Inside was a pair of soft green baby socks. He looked up at her with a small smile on his face. Aalia smiled back and felt a tightening in her chest when she saw the raging emotions in his eyes. He was happy.

"Do you like it?" She asked shyly.

He nodded and pressed a kiss against her cheek. "Yes."

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. "I saw them and… they were so cute!"

He chuckled and held her. He nuzzled her hair. "We have to buy a lot more stuff for the baby."

"I know… we could turn the guest room into a nursery."

"No."

"Why not?" She pulled back to look at him. There was a frown on her face.

"Let me get dressed and I'll tell you."

She let go of him when he got up. He handed her the box with the socks and walked over towards the closet. Aalia willed herself to look away from him when he dropped the towel. She busied herself with opening the plastic box and took the tiny socks out. The fabric was really soft and she rubbed one sock against her cheek. Her baby would wear them…

She blinked against the tears that suddenly came up. She rested her hand on her still flat stomach. Her baby… She couldn't stop the tears anymore and the rolled down her cheeks.

Trowa looked at her in alarm when she sobbed. "Aalia?"

He made his way over to the bed while tucking on a t-shirt. He knelt down in front of her and cupped her cheek. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" she laughed through her tears, "I'm just so happy."

He smiled at her and wiped her tears away. "Shh…"

She slid of the bed, so that she was kneeling too and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you."

He kissed her. "I love you too."

She held onto him tightly until she calmed down. "What did you want to tell me?"

"Right…" He helped her to her feet and took her with him into the living room.

She hadn't noticed the newspaper on the dining table before, but now she did. He pulled the newspaper towards them and pointed to an ad. "I found us a house."

Aalia's eyes widened. "You… you're serious?"

He grinned at her. "Yes."

She looked at the ad. It was a house for a family, with a garden… in a child friendly neighborhood. There was a picture of the house in the ad as well. She sighed dreamily. It was perfect, cozy, lovely.

"What do you think?"

"That it's perfect." She gave him a bright smile and kissed his cheek.

Trowa wrapped his arm around her. "Good."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Afzal Kadeem smirked as he hung up the phone. The guard took him back to his cell and locked the door behind him. Everything was going according to plan. The new assassin would take care of that whore…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Aalia sighed and turned away from the window. Nanashi was still working behind his laptop.

"How long do we still have to wait?" she complained.

"Five more days," Nanashi said.

"It's stupid that it has to take so long."

"The alliance is keeping a close eye on everything. Words of Operation Meteor have leaked out."

Aalia rolled her eyes. She no longer cared for that stupid mission. Her mother was dead and she didn't have a Gundam anymore… Nanashi had arranged for them to go to the L3 colony cluster. He could go to work and help build another Gundam. Aalia, on the other hand, felt useless. She didn't know what to do anymore.

She missed her mother.

She picked up the book that she had been reading the day before and stared at it. It didn't look appealing today. What else could she do? She glanced at Nanashi and sighed. He was always so busy… so serious. He had been like that from the moment she had met him. Sometimes she could see glimpses of the kind and compassionate boy under his cool façade. Like that time when he had given her the care bear.

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

"Just checking something."

She wandered over to where he sat and stood behind him. He was doing research on the man she had run into at the spaceport.

"It was good of me to follow you. This man is dangerous." Nanashi turned around. "He is not in the country anymore but his brother still is. You're not going anywhere alone."

"Okay." She said.

She suppressed the uneasy feeling that spread through her body. She had a feeling that something terrible was about to happen. She had had these feelings lately. And it made her think all the more about the things she still wanted to do in life. With a sigh she sat down on the couch. The hotel room they were staying in was pretty comfortable. It had two separate bedrooms, a bathroom with a bath, and a living area. Aalia bit down on her lip as she contemplated her plan for the evening.

Would he…? She glanced at Nanashi again. With him it was impossible to tell. She smiled slightly to herself. He was her best friend. Her only friend. The only person she trusted enough for this… And she knew she would be able to convince him if she played her cards right. She just had to try…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Aalia woke up with a start. Trowa stirred beside her. "Aalia?"

"It's nothing."

"You weren't having a nightmare, were you?" His voice was hoarse with sleep.

She smiled and turned towards him. "No… I was dreaming about you."

She felt him smile against her skin as he pulled her closer to press a kiss against her forehead. "What about me?"

Her cheeks heated up. "About when we were younger…"

"Tell me."

"Why? You know all about it." She wrapped her arm around his waist and snuggled into his chest. "Go back to sleep."

"Tell me," he insisted.

"Trowa," she sighed. "I'm tired. I'll tell you tomorrow."

He chucked and nuzzled her hair. "Alright…"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Trowa made his way to Lady Une's office. He could barely keep himself from smiling when he thought about what Aalia had told him what her dream had been about that morning. He was happy with her in his life. And the thought of becoming a father was pretty nice too.

He entered Une's office. His happy mood disappeared the moment he saw her face. "What's the matter?"

"Kadeem has sent another assassin after the Winner girl," Une said, "I have arranged for her to get into the witness protection program."

"What?" Trowa couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice. "You can't."

"Why not?" Une gave him a pointed look. "I'm doing what I think is best."

"This is my girlfriend you're making decisions about."

Une sighed. "Trowa, I don't want to put her in unnecessary danger. And neither do you."

"But you can't just go and arrange things without me knowing about it! She is pregnant, for God's sake!" He was angry now.

"I didn't know that," Une said. "I'm sorry. But there is no other way to guarantee her safety."

Trowa threw her a glare and started pacing. Damn it! He had fought in a war when he was seventeen! He had faced greater dangers than this! And yet, he felt so powerless. He stopped pacing and sighed. He couldn't protect Aalia. His body was still not strong enough and she couldn't protect herself without risking the baby. He really had no other choice.

He had to let her go…


	10. Chapter 10

Sooo… I've practicly finished this story already. I just have to update a couple of more times! There will be 13 chapters in total. Enjoy this one!

REVIEW PLEASE! (It's kinda making me sad I have to beg for reviews, but yeah…)

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the song 'For the heart I once had' by Nightwish.

For the heart I once had

Chapter 10

_Heaven today is but a way__  
To a place I once called home  
Heart of a child, one final sigh  
As another love goes cold_

Once my heart beat to the rhythm of the falling snow  
Blackened below, the river now flows  
A stream of molten virgin snow

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Living today without a way  
To understand the weight of the world  
Faded and torn, old and forlorn  
My weak and hoping heart

For the child, for the light  
For the heart I once had  
I`ll believe and foresee  
Everything I could ever be

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Time will not heal a Dead Boy`s scars  
Time will kill

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Aalia looked up at Trowa with a smile when he entered the apartment. The smile disappeared when she saw the look on his face. "Trowa?"

"Hey," he said softly.

He shrugged of his jacked and hung it up, before slowly making his way into the living room. He dreaded telling her. He didn't want to shatter her happiness. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and never let her go. With a sigh he sat down on the couch next to her.

"What's the matter? Why are you home so early?" Aalia reached out to touch his arm.

"Afzal has send another assassin after you."

"We're going to leave again?"

"No…" he swallowed. "I'm in no condition to protect you and I don't want to put you and the baby in any danger."

"But staying here…"

"Une has arranged for you to get into the witness protection program."

She stared at him dumbfounded. "What?"

"I… I don't have any other choice." He hid his face in his hands.

"You mean…" She had to swallow herself, "You mean that I have to leave?"

"I'm sorry, Aalia."

"B-but…"

"I swear… If there had been another option I'd taken it." He grasped her hands. "I don't want you to go."

She cupped his cheek. "How long… how long does it take?"

"I don't know." He sighed. "Une is in charge of this. She won't even tell me where you'll be going."

"So… It could be what… months, years… and…" Tears rolled down her cheeks. "Oh God…"

He pulled her into his arms and held her. She cried onto his shoulder as she came to realize that there was a possibility that she might not see him again. Her child might never know its father.

"I love you," she sobbed brokenly.

"I love you too." He kissed her temple. "Never forget that."

"How long do we have until I have to leave?" She pulled back and wiped her cheeks.

"Until tomorrow morning." Trowa took a deep breath.

She bit down on her lip and more tears rolled down her cheeks. She sobbed and buried her face in his shoulder. "I hate him!"

He stroked her hair. He hated this feeling of helplessness. "I swear… I'll make him pay for this."

She tightened her arms around him. "Don't go getting yourself in trouble. It's not worth it."

But what was life worth without her?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The next morning Aalia woke up early. She turned around in Trowa's arms to look at him. Even in sleep his face showed the anguish they both felt. The night before had been a mixture of tears and passion. She didn't want to leave. Trowa was everything to her.

But she had no other choice. She didn't want anyone to risk their life for her again. The witness protection program was the only choice she had. She sighed and snuggled closer to him. She'd make the best of the last moments she would have with the man she loved.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Trowa sighed and handed the last bag with Aalia's stuff to one of the men who would make sure Aalia got to safety. Aalia stood next to him. She was trying to be strong, but he could see she was at the verge of breaking.

She turned towards him. He pulled her close and held her. He breathed in the scent of her hair deeply, branding it in his memory. "I love you," he said.

She held onto him tightly. "I love you too. Always."

He sighed, fighting the raging emotions inside him.

"Aalia, are you ready?" Lady Une stepped into the apartment, followed by Duo.

Aalia sighed. "I'll never be ready for this."

She pulled back to look at him. Her eyes shone with unshed tears. Trowa cupped her cheek and kissed her. He could feel the wetness of her tears against his fingers as he deepened the kiss, tasting her for the last time.

When she pulled back the could barely keep himself in check. She turned away from him. He could hear her sobbing quietly. "Aalia…"

She shook her head and stepped towards Une, who gently led her out of the apartment.

"Aalia!"

Duo was quick to stop him from going after her by grabbing his arms. The door fell closed. Trowa struggled in Duo's hold. "AALIA!"

"Trowa," Duo spoke gently, "Calm down."

He was consumed by sadness and went limp.

"Come on…" Duo led him into the living room and made him sit down on the couch.

Already the apartment felt so empty. He looked around. It seemed so cold… His eye fell on something that lay on the dining table. He stood up and made his way over.

On the table lay one of the green baby socks. He reached out and took it into his hand, clutching the soft fabric in a tight grip. He would never know his own child.

Duo jumped up startled as Trowa suddenly let out a roar and dashed into the bedroom, throwing the door shut behind him. He was worried. He had never seen Trowa like this. He took his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Hilde's number. After two rings it got picked up. "I think you need to come over here. I don't think I can handle it…"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Months passed and Trowa felt like he was slowly loosing his sanity. He missed her terribly. It was like living without a purpose. Une had told him Aalia was safe, but that was all. He couldn't get any more information about Aalia's whereabouts. Not even after a year of being without her. The baby had to be born and he wanted to know so badly if he had a son or a daughter.

He sighed when the doorbell rang and went to open it. Duo and Heero were standing in the door opening. "What?"

"We need to talk to you," Heero said calmly, "Wufei is going to be here soon too."

"Leave me alone." Trowa went to close the door.

Heero stopped him. "Trowa, we want to help you."

"With what?" He glared at them.

Heero pushed him aside and stepped inside the apartment. Duo followed him. Trowa was about to close the door when he saw Wufei coming down the walkway, followed by Quatre. He sighed. He didn't feel like talking to anyone. Didn't they understand he wanted to be left alone?

He let Wufei and Quatre in too and then closed the door. He walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.

"What do you all want?"

"We had to wait a while before we could tell you this. If Une finds out we'll probably all lose our job and go to prison," Heero said with a shrug. "We have a plan."

Trowa frowned. "A plan?"

"Yeah," Duo said, "We're going to kill Afzal Kadeem…"

Technically the plan was not so difficult. Quatre would pay Afzal Kadeem's bail and set him free. Then they would kill him. It had to be done in such a way that it looked like an accident. The problem was that once Afzal Kadeem was dead, Trowa would probably be the first one the preventers would question. Not to mention Quatre.

"The best way would be for him to die in such a way that it would look like natural death," Duo said.

Heero nodded in agreement. "How do we do that?"

Wufei smirked. "A special type of poison."

"You know something?" Quatre asked.

Wufei nodded. "I'll take care of it. Now what's left is the when and where."

They discussed all the options they had. Trowa felt better afterwards. He had a purpose again. When Afzal was dead he could go and find Aalia. If they didn't find out who were behind Afzal's death, that is…

- End chapter 10 -

Tell me what you think!


	11. Chapter 11

Here is the next chapter.

I would really appreciate it if you took the time to review after reading this chapter! I really did my best in trying to make a good story and I just want to know if people like it or not.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the song 'For the heart I once had' by Nightwish.

For the heart I once had

Chapter 11

_Heaven today is but a way__  
To a place I once called home  
Heart of a child, one final sigh  
As another love goes cold_

Once my heart beat to the rhythm of the falling snow  
Blackened below, the river now flows  
A stream of molten virgin snow

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Living today without a way  
To understand the weight of the world  
Faded and torn, old and forlorn  
My weak and hoping heart

For the child, for the light  
For the heart I once had  
I`ll believe and foresee  
Everything I could ever be

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Time will not heal a Dead Boy`s scars  
Time will kill

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Preparations took another month. Quatre had managed to buy Afzal free under a different name and had contacted Afzal afterwards for a meeting. Afzal had been a little weary of his benefactor, but had reluctantly agreed.

They had the whole scene set up in a tiny restaurant in a village close to the desert. Une hadn't suspected a thing when Duo, Wufei, Heero and Trowa all took a week off. They all had told her the same story: Quatre had asked them to come over for a little reunion. Since Quatre did these kind of things a lot Une hadn't questioned them.

Wufei had gone to China to get the poison. Duo had asked him why had to go to China of all places.

"Because what I'm getting is a poison made from mushrooms that only grow there!" Wufei had said, "It used to cause a lot of deaths back in the Before Colony time. It took years for scientists to find out what caused those people to die, because it seemed like a normal heart attack."

Trowa had to admit it was smart.

Rashid would pretend that he was the one who had bought Afzal free from prison. He'd coax Afzal in having lunch and then they would give him the poison. Afzal would die and they would go back home and pretend to have had a good time with friends.

Trowa paced back and fort in the kitchen of the restaurant. Duo and Heero sat in chairs against the wall and Wufei was standing next to them. Quatre was standing next to the window, keeping an eye out for Afzal. It was nerve wrecking to wait.

He was so close to getting Aalia back…

"He's here!" Quatre said.

Trowa took a deep breath. "Alright."

"Relax man," Duo told him, "It's going to be alright."

They waited anxiously for Afzal to enter the restaurant. They could hear Rashid's booming voice through the closed door and Afzal answering more quietly. They waited and waited…

The door opened and the waitress, one of Rashid's sisters, entered the kitchen. She gave them a smile, signaling Rashid had succeeded in making Afzal have lunch with him. She quickly started to prepare the food. A half an hour later, when she was done, Wufei handed her the small flask with the poison. She poured it out over Afzal's food and then took the plates and left the kitchen.

Trowa sighed. So close…

He stood in the middle of the kitchen, his hand balled into fists.

"How long does it normally take for this poison to be active?" he quietly asked.

Wufei shrugged. "A couple of hours."

That was good. Afzal would probably be walking around somewhere then and suddenly drop dead in the middle of the street. None of them would be around so none could but the link between them and Afzal. Perfect…

He sat down in a chair next to the window and glanced at Quatre. "I'm going to get her back."

"I know," Quatre said with a smile. "And we'll all help you."

Trowa glanced over to Heero, Duo and Wufei and gave them a grateful nod. "Thanks."

Suddenly they heard tires screeching outside and Trowa jumped up to look out of the window. He couldn't see any cars so they probably had heard the sound from up front. He willed himself to relax. Everything was fine…

They heard the door open and Afzal curse.

"FREEZE! THIS IS THE SPECIAL PREVENTER UNIT!"

"Fuck it! That's Une!" Duo whispered harshly.

"They have surrounded the building," Quatre said.

"PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD AND COME OUT!"

"What are we going to do?" Duo turned to Heero.

"Wufei, get rid of the flask," Heero said.

"Already taken care of."

Trowa quietly crept to the door and glanced through the tiny window in it. It was one of those mirror windows, so he could see what was going on in the restaurant, but none could see into the kitchen.

"She is inside." He said quietly.

"Heero!" Duo hissed, "We need a plan."

"There is no way out of here." Heero said in a monotone voice.

"THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE! COME OUT NOW!"

"She is coming this way!" Trowa backed up.

He froze as Une burst through the door, gun drawn and aimed. She froze as well.

"I should have known," she said. "IN HERE!"

A couple of preventers entered the kitchen as well. Trowa thought it was best not to say anything and let one of the preventers cuff his hand behind his back. They were all hauled outside and pushed into cars. Trowa felt sorry for Rashid, who had to sit with Afzal. They were all taken to a local preventer station.

Duo paced back and fort in the small holding cell. "What are we going to say?"

"That we were just traveling around and ran into Rashid's sister's restaurant and were hanging out in the kitchen when Afzal arrived," Wufei said.

"They're never going to buy that," Heero said. He sat stoically on the bench next to Trowa.

"It's the only story that explains why we were in the kitchen," Duo said. "What about Rashid?"

"It is his sister's restaurant. He doesn't need to have reason to be there," Quatre said. "And he was so smart to have lunch with Afzal at the bar. They sat next to each other but they could have been strangers too."

"That's right," Trowa said, "But that still doesn't explain why we were in the kitchen, while Rashid sat up front."

"We'll say that Rashid's sister was showing us around," Quatre said. "Rashid was having a drink at the bar and then Afzal shows up."

"And then Rashid's sister leaves us to tend to her customer." Trowa concluded.

"Alright… let's all tell her that. What is she doing anyway?" Duo said.

"Probably having coffee," Trowa said. "I hope she questions us first… Afzal will probably be dead by the time she is finished with us."

As if she had guessed his thoughts, Une opened the door. "Wufei… You first."

Wufei walked out of the cell. A preventer came forward to cuff Wufei's hands, but Une stopped him. "That is not necessary."

"But…" The preventer said.

"These men work for me," Une said calmly, "I can trust them this much."

Heero snorted and Une glared at him.

The door closed. A half an hour later Wufei was brought back into the cell. Une called Duo. By the time Duo came back Une had a funny look on her face. Quatre left the cell. When he came back Une looked frustrated. She took Heero with her and later came back for Trowa.

Trowa followed her to a small office. Une sat down at the desk with a sigh. Trowa sat down in a chair opposite the desk.

"I know that story is a big fat lie," Une said.

Trowa raised an eyebrow. "It's not."

"You were out there to kill Kadeem." Une gave him a sharp look.

"We were not. He is still alive, isn't he?" Trowa leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Unfortunately , yes, he is." Une sighed. "I was able to arrest him for some other crime. Who bailed him out?"

Trowa shrugged. "I don't know. We were hanging out in the kitchen."

Une snorted delicately. "Yes, I know that."

He was tired of this. He wanted to go home and start searching for Aalia.

"I know you haven't been the same since that girl left, Trowa," Une said with a compassionate undertone in her voice, "I know it was the best thing to do at that time."

Trowa nodded. "I just wish I knew something more about her whereabouts."

"I'm sorry. I don't know either. But I'm telling you this. Don't start searching for her as long as Kadeem is alive. It's no use." Une stood up.

"I know…" Trowa stood up too and followed Une back to the cell.

She opened the door for him. "I'll get you all once I have written my report."

Trowa was about to step into the cell, when a preventer came running down the hallway. "Lady Une, you have to come now! Kadeem had collapsed in his cell and he doesn't have a pulse."

"I'm coming right away." Une gave Trowa a shove.

The door fell closed behind him. Duo, Heero, Wufei and Quatre all looked at him.

"What do you think?" Heero asked.

"That Afzal Kadeem just died…" Trowa smirked. "And Une's buying our story."

"She is not." Wufei chuckled. "She just doesn't have anything else to report."

_Aalia, I'm coming for you. I promise._

_- _End chapter 11-

Another chapter done! =D

REVIEW PLEASE!


	12. Chapter 12

I didn't want to post this chapter until I had finished chapter 13, which is the final chapter of this story. Now that it is finished I can focus on a new story. It's not really new, since it has been lurking around on my USB-drive for the past three years or something. I really wish to finish it and now I can! =D

I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the song 'For the heart I once had' by Nightwish.

For the heart I once had

Chapter 12

_Heaven today is but a way__  
To a place I once called home  
Heart of a child, one final sigh  
As another love goes cold_

Once my heart beat to the rhythm of the falling snow  
Blackened below, the river now flows  
A stream of molten virgin snow

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Living today without a way  
To understand the weight of the world  
Faded and torn, old and forlorn  
My weak and hoping heart

For the child, for the light  
For the heart I once had  
I`ll believe and foresee  
Everything I could ever be

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Time will not heal a Dead Boy`s scars  
Time will kill

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

When Une opened the door again, she looked tired. Her face was pale with fatigue. "You can all follow me," She said.

Trowa was the first one to leave the cell. They followed Une down the hallway back to the office they had all been heard in.

"Alright," Une said, "You're all free to go."

Trowa relaxed and next to him Quatre breathed a sigh of relief.

"Afzal Kadeem is dead." Une rubbed her eyes. "He had a heart attack. I know you guys are behind it, but I got no proof. You're lucky this time."

She handed each of them their belongings and with a tired wave of her hand dismissed them.

Later that night, they gathered in the living room of Quatre's mansion. Rashid had been released before them. Trowa sat in the window sill.

Quatre smiled at him. "We can start the search for Aalia now."

Trowa nodded. "Thank you all for helping me."

Duo shrugged and grinned. "Don't mention it. That's what friends are for."

Trowa nodded. He felt relieved. He was going to find Aalia. Everything would be alright.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Trowa entered the house with a sigh. It felt wrong to be here alone. He looked around. Aalia had been right. It was perfect. And it was exactly the reason why he was buying it. The house he had found in the newspaper months ago was still for sale. When he found Aalia, she would come to live with him here.

He had been searching for weeks, but he still had found no trace of her. The people from the witness protection program had refused to give him any information, so he had started to search for her himself. He knew it could take much longer before he found her. The world was big and she could live in the colonies too.

The others helped him as much as they could. They checked any record they could get their hands on. They hadn't been able to find her or any description that fit her. They knew she had to live under a false name somewhere. Checking birth registers in hopes of finding the baby and tracing it back to her, proved useless too. Trowa was slowly starting to loose hope.

He didn't want to give up and he wouldn't. He would find her, even if it would cost him years.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Aalia sighed as she closed the door of her apartment. She pushed the stroller into the living room. It was hard to look at her child. The girl had Trowa's eyes. Gods, she missed him. Her fingers itched when she glanced over to the phone. She could… She would not. She didn't know if it was safe. She didn't dare to risk her child's life. She bit her lip as she felt tears come up. She didn't want to do this alone.

The women around here all stared at her when she walked by with the stroller. They talked about her. Being a single mother here almost seemed like a crime. She hated it here. But she wouldn't move. She would wait for Trowa to find her.

She lifted her child out of the stroller and held her. The baby shifted in her arms, slowly waking from sleep.

"Hey there, pretty girl," Aalia said softly.

She nuzzled the baby's cheek. The girl opened her eyes and Aalia looked away. It hurt. She loved her baby; she just couldn't look at her eyes. It reminded her too much of happier times…

"Please, Trowa…" She whispered, "Come for me soon."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"What do you mean; you can't give me the information?" Trowa glared at the man in front of him.

"I'm sorry sir," the man apologized, "I can't help you."

Trowa took a deep breath to calm his anger. "I need the information. Now."

"I-I can't. I told you." The man was shaking now.

"I'm not going to leave without it. You said you could help me and so you will."

"It will cost me my job."

"Mister Hauff, I'm losing my patience."

Hauff took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry."

Trowa's hands gripped the edge of the desk as he leaned over it, towering over the quivering man in his chair. "You listen to me, I need that information now. This is my child we're talking about!"

The door of the office opened and a woman with a stern face walked in. She gave Trowa a cool stare. "Mister Barton, I believe?" her voice sounded like ice.

Trowa nodded. "Yes."

"Follow me please." She turned on her heel and marched out of the office.

Trowa followed her down the hallway, back to the entrance of the building.

"I'm asking you to leave, now," The woman said. "We're not allowed to give any information."

"But…"

She whirled around. "I'm sorry, but we can't."

She didn't sound sorry. She held out his hand for him to shake and he did so with a tight grip. He felt something press into his hand. He gave her a grateful smile as he realized it was a micro chip.

"I know you have been searching for months and I'm sorry I can't help you," She said. Her voice was warmer now. "Good day, Mister Barton."

He left the building with hope fluttering in his stomach. The micro chip was warm in his hand. He had hope once again.

Back in his hotel he plugged the chip into his laptop and waited for the information to load. He scanned the information. The child had been born on this colony, five months ago. It was a girl. Trowa smiled to himself. He had a daughter. He read the rest of the information. The child and her mother had been moved another place. Names and places weren't mentioned.

Trowa sighed. He still didn't know where she was. Damn it…

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Quatre hung up the phone with a sigh and shook his head. Still nothing. Heero had tried to hack into the data base of the witness protection program, but he had been unsuccessful. Of course, the information had to be protected and it had to be impossible to access it. Heero had promised he would keep on trying.

Quatre himself had been traveling from colony to colony, passing around flyers with Aalia's picture on it, searching for records of new habitants of the colonies. Duo was doing the same on earth. He wouldn't give up. He had to find his sister. He wouldn't fail his best friend.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Look at her…"

Aalia rolled her eyes, irritated by the gossiping of the women in the store. It seemed to be getting worse by the day. She packed up her groceries and pushed the stroller outside. The baby was making gurgling noises. She smiled slightly. Her beautiful child…

She walked back to the apartment through the park, enjoying the weather.

She hoped she could leave soon. Go home, back to the man she loved; show him how beautiful their child was. It was all so unfair…

She knew she had his heart and that made the pain worse. She loved him, but she couldn't have him. She missed him so much! She stopped walking and blinked back her tears. She had to be strong. Strong for herself, for the child. She had to be strong, so that the women here would see when the time came… Yes, she had to be strong.

She resumed her way to the apartment. She stopped when she saw a flyer stapled to a tree. A traveling circus was here. Their first show would be that night. She smiled slightly to herself. She would go. A little bit of distraction was always good.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Why don't you come over for a while? Get your mind of things."

Trowa sighed. "I'll think about it."

"Trowa, really," Catherine sighed too, "I'm worried about you. You've been searching nonstop for that girl for almost a year now."

"Alright, I'll come over," Trowa said, "I'll book a flight as soon as possible."

"Great." He could hear the smile in her voice. "So… You'll call me later?"

"I will."

He hung up after saying goodbye. With a sigh he sat down on the couch. Almost two years… time flew by so fast… But the days without her were long. The baby would be a year and a half now. He took the baby sock out of his pocket and stared at it. He had held it so many times in the past two years. The fabric was still soft, but not a soft as it used to be. He bit his lip.

He got up and walked over to his laptop to book a flight to the colonies. He didn't want to go, but Catherine would be a nice distraction for a while. Maybe she'd ask him to participate in the show. He hadn't been with the circus for a couple of years and he had to admit he missed it. He had quit because of the mission concerning Afzal Kadeem. It had taken months of preparation and he had gone to live in Brussels until after the mission. But then he had found Aalia and everything had changed.

After booking the flight he went to pack a duffle bag. He would leave tomorrow morning.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Aalia wandered around the cages, watching the animals. She held her baby in her arms. The little girl was squealing and pointing at the lion's cage. Aalia wandered a little closer to it. "Do you like the lion, sweety?" She asked her child.

The girl giggled and tried to reach for the cage.

"No… We are not doing that." Aalia smiled. Her mood had lifted a little. She cuddled her child close and kissed her forehead. "The lion might eat you."

"The lion is very nice."

Aalia turned to watch a slim woman with brown curls approach. She recognized her as the knife thrower. She gave the woman a timid smile. "My baby thinks so too."

The woman smiled brightly. "I can see that. Did you like the show?"

Aalia nodded. "Yes."

"Why don't you come by tomorrow again? I'm Catherine by the way." She held out her hand and Aalia shook it. Catherine… that was a familiar name.

"I'm Anna." She still had to get used to using her fake name.

The baby squealed and reached out for Catherine. "Daaaa!"

Aalia smiled. "She wants you to hold her."

Catherine lifted the little girl out of Anna's arms and smiled warmly. She loved children. The baby immediately took hold of her hair, playing with the curls. "Hi there, pretty girl."

The baby looked up at her and Catherine had to suppress a gasp. The baby's eyes were a deep green. She knew those eyes! She looked at Anna again. But this woman could not be the girl Trowa was looking for. Aalia had blond hair and this woman's hair was brown.

"You have very pretty eyes," Catherine told the child in her arms.

She saw Anna shift and bite her lip. "She has, hasn't she?"

There was so much pain in the woman's voice that Catherine started to doubt her own judgment. Maybe her hair had been died brown. She was determined to get this woman to come to the show tomorrow. Trowa would arrive in the afternoon. He had to see for himself.

"I'll get you some tickets for tomorrow's show," Catherine said to Anna, "If you come by afterwards my brother can introduce you to the lion."

"Oh…" Anna seemed to hesitate.

"I insist!" Catherine smiled at her.

She handed her back the child and mentioned her to follow her to her trailer. Inside she searched through a couple of drawers until she found a couple of tickets she kept there for situations like this. "Here."

Anna accepted the tickets. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Catherine said warmly. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes." Anna smiled at her.

"Good."

She watched Anna go. She hoped she was Aalia. Trowa deserved to be happy…

- End chapter 12 -

I hope you liked it! Let me know what you think!


	13. Chapter 13

And the final chapter is there! I'm glad I can wrap this story up. I'm already working on another Gundam Wing story. It's posted on freedom of speech fanfiction and it's called Forgive and Forget.

I hope you'll enjoy it and please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the song 'For the heart I once had' by Nightwish.

For the heart I once had

Chapter 13

_Heaven today is but a way__  
To a place I once called home  
Heart of a child, one final sigh  
As another love goes cold_

Once my heart beat to the rhythm of the falling snow  
Blackened below, the river now flows  
A stream of molten virgin snow

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Living today without a way  
To understand the weight of the world  
Faded and torn, old and forlorn  
My weak and hoping heart

For the child, for the light  
For the heart I once had  
I`ll believe and foresee  
Everything I could ever be

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Time will not heal a Dead Boy`s scars  
Time will kill

For the heart I`ll never have  
For the child forever gone  
The music flows, because it longs  
For the heart I once had

Trowa managed a small smile when Catherine came to get him from the spaceport. He was tired and wanted to sleep for the rest of the day. During the ride to the circus Catherine spoke up.

"Could you do something for me?"

"Hmmm?"

"Yesterday, this woman came by with her daughter. She is the cutest little girl and she likes the lion. Could you…"

"Sure…" He sighed.

Catherine smiled. "Thank you."

He shrugged. He didn't care anymore for what he did.

"So how is the search coming along?"

"It's near hopeless, I guess."

"I'm so sorry." He could feel her cheerful mood slipping away as she realized how bad the situation was.

He sighed again and rested his head against the window. "Sometimes I can get my hands on little pieces of information but they don't tell me more than I already know."

Catherine bit her lip. She hoped that Anna was Aalia…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Trowa woke up with a terrible headache. He shifted and turned over on his side on the small bed and prepared to go back to sleep. Outside he could hear the circus employees prepare for the show and he sighed. Why had Catherine asked him to come to the lions cage to see another woman's child? Didn't she realize how hard it was? He never came back on his promises, so he had no choice but to go. He glanced over to the alarm clock on the nightstand. He could sleep some more. He closed his eyes and drifted of…

Catherine woke him a couple of hours later with a soft knock on the door. "Trowa?"

He got up and opened the door. "Yes?"

She smiled at him. "Be ready after the show okay?"

"Hn…" He nodded.

"We'll be waiting for you." She turned and left the trailer.

He grabbed a change of clothes and made his way to the bathroom to take a shower. He felt a lot better afterwards. His headache was gone, but he still dreaded going to the lion's cage after the show.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Aalia smiled at the child in her lap. The little girl was playing with her hair, tugging on the long brown locks. Her daughter loved all the excitement of the show. She pointed at the animals and squealed loudly.

A woman next to her glared at her. "Can't you keep the child quiet?"

Aalia gave the woman a cold stare. "Well excuse me, but my child is not the only one who is making noise here."

She recognized this woman. She was one who always gossiped. The woman's cheeks tinted a light pink when her own child shouted in excitement as a lion was let into the ring.

Aalia turned back to watching the show, but she could still feel the woman's eyes on her. The accusing stare got onto her nerves. She hated the way these women treated her. She couldn't help it that she was a single mother. When she had come to this small colony she had tried to blend in a much as possible. She started to wear the long skirts all women on this colony wore, hoping she wouldn't be the odd one out. It had been useless, but she had done it anyway.

The show ended and Aalia got up. She lifted her little girl up and smiled at her. "Ready to go see the lion again?"

"Can we go too mom?" The boy next to her asked his mother.

Aalia ignored them and left the tent. She slowly made her way along the cages, stopping here and there to let her child watch the animals.

When she reached the lion's cage, Catherine was already waiting for her. She was quick to take over her child. "Hi there, pretty one!"

Aalia smiled. "You like children, don't you?"

Catherine smiled back. "I adore them."

The woman who had been mean to her during the show approached the lion's cage. Her son was bouncing up and down, pointing at the lion.

Aalia sighed and turned her back to them. "Great."

"What's wrong?" Catherine asked.

"It's nothing." Aalia managed a small smile.

Catherine glanced around. "I wonder where my brother is."

"I'm here Cathy."

Aalia whirled around at the sound of the voice she had longed to hear for the last two years…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Trowa approached the lion's cage slowly. He could see Catherine talking to a woman with long wavy brown hair. She wore the trademark skirt all the women on this small colony wore. Catherine was holding the woman's child in her arms. She glanced around, obviously looking for him.

"I wonder where my brother is," she said to the woman next to her.

"I'm here Cathy," He said.

The woman next to Catherine whirled around, her eyes wide with shock. Trowa stopped dead in his tracks. It was Aalia… He drank in the sight of her. She looked good. Her hair had been died brown, but it suited her.

"Trowa…" She said softly.

He smiled at her. He had found her.

She was the first one to move. She ran towards him and threw her arms around his neck. He held her tightly and buried his face in his hair. She was sobbing with happiness.

"You're here…" she mumbled.

She smelled like roses and baby powder. He tightened his hold on her. "I've found you…"

Her tears wetted the fabric of his shirt. She pulled back to look at him. She cupped his cheeks. "I've missed you so much. I…"

He silenced her with a kiss. She was eager to respond. The kiss was wet with her tears and he hurried to wipe them away when he pulled back to look at her again.

"Your hair…" He touched the dark locks again.

"I know… I had to die it this color."

He pulled her close against him and she buried her face in his chest. "It suits you," he murmured.

Trowa met Catherine's eyes and he smiled at her. She stepped closer and he held out his arm to take over his daughter. His daughter. She was so beautiful. Aalia pulled back slightly and smiled. Trowa let go of her to play with the brown curls on the little girls head. The child giggled and grabbed his fingers with both her small hands.

Aalia watched the emotion in his eyes. "Her name is Quaterine."

He met her eyes and smiled. "That's a very suitable name. I think Quatre will like it too."

"But I can't…" Aalia's eyes brimmed with tears again. "It's not safe."

Trowa pulled her close and kissed her hair. "It is now. Afzal is dead."

"Really?" She looked up at him, hope clear in her eyes. "So I can go back home with you?"

He nodded. "I've been searching for you from the moment he died. They've hidden you well."

A knowing smile spread on her face. "You killed him."

He shrugged. Aalia buried her face in his shoulder to muffle her laughter. "I'm so happy!"

He chuckled and nuzzled her hair. Everything was alright…

-x-x-x-

A year later:

"Daddy!"

Trowa woke up from his slumber when Aalia lifted Quaterine onto the bed.

"Hey there, beautiful." He sat up and received a wet kiss on his cheek.

Aalia smiled at him and pressed a kiss against his lips. "Good morning."

Quaterine squealed and climbed into his lap. She put her small hand on her mother's cheek and pushed her away. Trowa chuckled and cuddled his daughter against his chest. "Your mother can kiss me too, you know," he told her.

"Nooo." Quaterine shook her head stubbornly.

Aalia giggled and sat down on the edge of the bed. She smoothened her daughters dark curls. "I guess she thinks I give you too much kisses."

"I'm not complaining," Trowa said while leaning in for another kiss.

Aalia smiled against his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too," he murmured back.

Quaterine sat up on her knees, demanding his attention. "And I love you too," he told her.

The little girl giggled and clapped her hands together. "Daddy!"

Aalia couldn't resist touching the brown curls on her daughter's hair again. Her engagement ring flashed in the sunlight that poured through the window. Trowa took her hand in his and brought it up to his mouth. He kissed her fingers. He couldn't wait until the day he could finally make her his wife. He let go of her hand and took a lock of her hair between his fingers. She had died the long wavy locks back to their original color. Although the brown hair had suited her, the blond color made her look more radiant, more his. He smiled at her. He was the happiest man in the world…

- End -

Thank you for reading this story!

Review please!


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